Brotherly Love
by Strawberry-Green-Girl
Summary: Fred and George: They're joined at the hip, but what happens when they discover that they're relationship goes beyond just brotherly love? FredxGeorge Twincest, don't like, don't read. Rated for later chapters, though some may be M
1. The Beginning

**A/N- To new readers, welcome! I do hope you enjoy the story.**

**To old readers, welcome back! If you're rereading, you will find some changes. I fixed a lot of typos, and added a bit. Nothing to major, but necessary nonetheless. **

**To everyone: I shall be fixing and rewriting all of the chapters. You'll know it's been updated, because I'll mention it in the author's note. **

**Enough of my rambling. Enjoy the story!**

**-oOo-**

Chapter 1: The Beginning

"Fred! George! Wake up!"

I groaned and covered my head with my white pillow. Across the room, Fred did the same, adding in a few muttered obscenities. It was too early for shouting, and if Ron knew what was good for him, he would shut up and head back in the direction he came. But, of course, Ron never knows what's good for him.

"Come on, get up! We're gonna be late!" Ron's voice grew louder as he came closer to our (mine and Fred's) room. After a bit more shouting and a lot more heavy clomping, Ron finally came bursting through the door. The sound of the doorknob hitting the wall reverberated through my skull, making me wince, and I pressed the pillow harder against my face.

"Ron, what are you going on about?" Fred asked sleepily, obviously irritated. His voice was noticeably muffled due to his pillow.

"We'll be late!" Ron said again, urging us to get up.

"For what?" I asked groggily. I pulled my pillow off my head and propped myself up on my elbows, letting the pillow fall against my chest and into my lap. After rubbing my eyes and batting my hair out of my face, I opened my eyes. Ron was fully dressed standing in the doorway bouncing in place on the balls of his feet. I had to resist the strong urge to throw my pillow, or better yet, a book, at him.

"For the train!" Ron said, exasperated, and bounced faster. At this, Fred sat up completely, squinting at the light shining through the blinds.

"Oh dear, George, it seems ickle Ronniekins has forgotten the days of the week," Fred said, smirking at our little brother.

"Seems so," I agreed, grinning. "Otherwise he would know we pulled that same joke on him last week on Tuesday-"

"-And that we don't leave for Hogwarts for another four days, on Sunday," Fred finished for me.

"Now go away," we said together. Ron opened his mouth to say something, but used his better judgment and stormed out with a scowl on his face. I heard Fred mutter something that sounded like something along the lines of "stupid little brother…"

I laid back down, preparing to go back into my interrupted slumber, but now that I was awake, I couldn't fall back asleep. I turned over to my other side, then back to the right, but I couldn't get comfortable. I groaned into my pillow, which earned me an agitated "Shut up!" from Fred. After a few more minutes, I found a comfortable position on my stomach, but just as I was beginning to drift back to sleep, Mum called us down for breakfast.

"Fred! George! Ron! Ginny! Breakfast!" Fred and I groaned in unison, not wanting to get up. I debated skipping breakfast in order to sleep, but I heard Fred rustling around, so I decided against it. With much grumbling and yawning, we heaved ourselves out of bed. We didn't bother properly dressing; we just padded down the stairs in our matching black pajama pants and white tee shirts. When we got downstairs, Mum was waving her wand making plates of all the typical breakfast food zoom from the kitchen onto the table, and talking about Harry.

"…Was supposed to go get him ages ago. I can't believe I forgot! I hope he's not too upset with me…"

"Well seeing as the Muggles aren't exactly hospitable… ever…" Ginny chimed in, gazing at Mum, who groaned.

"Geez Mum, we've been wondering when you were going to get him," I joked. "Your memory's going fast." Mum turned to glare at me, and succeeded for the first few seconds, but then her glare turned to a look of agreement.

"Don't worry too much though, Mum. It doesn't look as though anyone's remembered," Fred said matter-of-factly.

"Yes, well, I'm off to get him," Mum sighed, turning around. "Your father took an extra shift at the ministry and won't be back before me so behave while I'm gone!" she said sternly. Ron snorted, just entering the room.

"As if Fred and George could behave."

"As if you could behave!" Ginny shot at him, and Fred and I grinned our identical grins.

"Good old Ginny, always on our side," Fred said smugly. Ginny smirked and stuck her tongue out at Ron. Mum rolled her eyes and bade us goodbye. She turned on the spot and disapperated with a loud 'BANG'. Fred, Ron, Ginny and I sat down at the table for breakfast. Ron was shoveling food into his face like he wouldn't be eating for another year; I really thought it would do him some good to take a table etiquette class or something. For about a half hour we sat eating, making idle chatter until Ron spoke up through a mouthful of eggs.

"What's taking Mum so long I wonder?" he asked. "All she has to do is get Harry and come back."

"Well I expect she'll be taking him to Diagon Alley to get his school stuff," Ginny said in a tone that suggested this should have been quite obvious.

"Yeah, Ron, get on top of it!" Fred teased, ruffling Ron's hair, only to be viciously swatted away.

"Yeah, you can be so dense sometimes," I smirked, copying Fred's mocking tone. Ron scowled, and looked like he was about to tell us off, but Ginny beat him to it.

"Oh come off it you two! Obviously you didn't bother to think of that either," she frowned and bit into a piece of toast, tossing her hair haughtily over her shoulder in an exaggerated how-about-_that_ sort of way.

"Didn't have to little sis, you got it covered," I said, and poked her nose. Ginny narrowed her eyes, wordlessly threatening me to do it again. I decided that in order to preserve my well-being, it would be best to refrain from such actions. A moment later, she and Ron began a conversation that my brother and I couldn't have cared less about, and suddenly, I remembered that we had to owl Lee. The three of us had come up with the idea for spell check quills to sell at school, and needed a good lasting charm for them in order to work. We began brainstorming it last year, but now we were ready to put it in to action. Fred quickly cut across Ron and Ginny, having read the look of remembrance on my face, and I couldn't help smiling at the way our brains just clicked.

"Sorry to interrupt whatever it is you're talking about, but my dear twin and I have very important business to attend to," Fred smirked.

"I'm sure," Ginny sniffed. I smiled, following Fred up the stairs. The interruption was quite unnecessary, but it was fun to see the agitated looks on Ron and Ginny's faces.

Fred and I entered our room and scavenged around for parchment, a quill, and ink. Once our materials were at the ready, we wrote the letter, and asked for a speedy reply, as we were eager to get started. We had to take Ron's owl, Pigwidgeon , to send the letter seeing as we didn't have one of our own. We were able to easily sneak into Ron's room and take him. We tied the parchment to Pig's leg, and let him out the window. At that precise moment, there was a CRACK from downstairs, and the sound of Ron and Ginny yelling, "Harry!"

"Mum's back, I take it," I said. Fred shrugged.

"Might as well say hello to Harry," he said. We looked at each other, and smirked as our twin brains clicked again.

Together, we bounded down the stairs yelling, "Harry! HARRY!" like two little kids who hadn't seen him in years, when it had only been three months. He managed a pretty loud yell when we crashed into him, full speed, and accidently ran all of us into the opposite wall. Mum gave a startled gasp and nearly dropped Harry's books. We smirked, smoothing Harry's hair down, and dusting off his shirt.

"Boys!" Mum shouted, and I looked over my shoulder.

"Sorry Mum, we've just missed him so much!" I exclaimed. With that, Fred and I hugged him tightly, lifting him off the ground. Fred looked at me for a moment, and then looked back at Harry, eyes twinkling in a very Dumbledore like way. Mum looks absolutely wild, so we set Harry down.

"Sorry 'bout that, Harry," I apologized dramatically, sighing deeply.

"Yeah, mate. Sometimes we just can't control ourselves," Fred grinned.

"Er, yeah… so… yeah," Harry stammered, trying to fight the smile that was undoubtedly making its way on to his lips. He tried hard as he could to look serious and stony faced, but he couldn't, and cracked a smile.

"There it is!" Fred and I said together, grinning wider.

"Good to see you guys," Harry muttered happily.

"You must be starving, Harry darling," Mum chimed in. Harry blushed slightly before nodding. Mum rushed into the kitchen to get him food, and he sat at the table and began talking to Ron and Ginny. Mum brandished he wand, waving it every which way, making Harry's breakfast soar to him. It looked as though she had given him a dozen scrambled eggs, a pound of bacon, and a stack of toast. That boy will never go hungry in this house.

"Appetite of a Weasley, he's got," Fred whispered, leaning toward me. I could smell his breath. It was sweet, and I merely nodded. Suddenly, Pigwidgeon flew through the window in the kitchen, and landed on a jug of pumpkin juice. There was a bit of parchment tied to his leg, no doubt from Lee. I rushed over and untied the roll. Merlin, that was quicker than expected.

"You used Pig without asking me?" Ron asked angrily. Fred nodded absently and watched me unroll the parchment. "You can't do that!" Ron shouted. Fred sighed impatiently.

"We wouldn't have to if-" he began.

"-Mum would get us our own," I finished. I looked toward Mum, who raised her hands to her shoulders as if to say, "Leave me out of it". Ron let out an angry growl, and grabbed Harry, who looked longingly at his plate, which he had barely made a dent in, before following Ron up the stairs.

"See you, Harry," Ginny waved. Harry turned around enough to wave back before disappearing. Finally, I took a look at the parchment. Fred stood next to me reading along. He was closer than necessary, but I didn't complain.

"Brilliant!" Fred beamed.

"The 'gramatica' charm," I mumbled. "I never would have thought of that."

"No worries, brother. Even the greatest of minds falter sometimes," he grinned and patted me on the back, and I shivered as an electric chill ran up my spine.

"It lasts several weeks," I commented. "It's perfect!" Fred and I high-fived, and dashed upstairs to get started.

**-oOo-**

**A/N- And there you have it; the edited chapter one!**

**I hope all you new readers enjoyed, and I hope all the old readers liked the improvements. **

**Review, please!**


	2. Almost

**A/N: I'm a bad person.. I posted one chapter, then didn't update for over a month.. I apologize! But here it finally is!! Chapter 2!! YAY!!!!!!! **

**There is a part somewhere around the middle of the chapter where Fred uses magic, so I'm disregarding the whole "Under-age magic" thing since the twins are only 16 in the story.**

**:D Just a quick reminder, this is all from George's POV.**

Chapter 2: Almost

Upstairs, Fred and I opened a small box of quills we had gotten (along with many other larger boxes) at Hogsmede when we went for our school stuff. Fred pulled one out and cast the '_Gramatica_' charm on it.

"Here," he said, handing it to me. "Try and misspell something." I took the quill and tried to decide on a word. In a whole world of words, at that one moment, after being asked to choose one, not a single word came to mind. I felt slightly stupid. Fred looked about to take the mickey out of me for it so I just quickly decided on 'Weasley'. I tried to write it as 'Waslyee', but the quill wouldn't let me. It seemed to force my hand to write it correctly. I told Fred this, and he beamed.

"Wicked! He exclaimed excitedly. We high-fived, and for the next hour and a half we charmed every single quill we bought. When we were done, I fell onto my bed with Fred right beside me.

"Is it just me," I asked, "or does the word 'gramatica' sound weird to you now?"

"It does…" Fred sighed. I looked over at him as he put his hands behind his head. His hair fell in his eyes, but he didn't bother brushing it away.

Whenever I look at my brother, I often compare it to looking in a mirror; the same hair, same eyes, same face, and until that second, never thought anything more of it. But at that moment, looking at Fred was like looking at a completely different person. Someone unlike me, someone different… Someone beautiful. My mind went back to the reflection thought and chuckled in my head. I never look at _myself_ like that. He was just so gorgeous and- Wait… _What?_ What the hell was I thinking? I can't think about my own twin brother that way! It's so-

"What are you looking at?" Fred asked, turning his head to look at me. He looked amused.

"Nothing," I lied.

"I'm so sure," Fred said sarcastically, sounding remarkably like Ginny.

"I was looking at your weird shirt," I said, and heaved myself off the bed. Fred didn't look entirely convinced, but he played along. There was something strangely unsettling about lying to my twin.

"It's only weird because you're wearing the exact same one," he teased, getting up too. He then headed over to his dresser and pulled his wand out of his sock drawer. He motioned for me to follow him and we went down the hall to Ron's room. Soundlessly, Fred opened the door a little bit, and we peered inside. Ron and Harry were sitting on the floor playing exploding snap. Ron had his back to the door, but Harry looked up without moving his head. I put my finger to my lips, indicating for him to be quite. Harry smiled to himself, and laid down a card, which emitted a loud snapping sound. After that, Fred must have used a non-verbal spell to do what he wanted to do, because them moment he pointed his wand at Ron, Ron's hair began turning green, starting at the roots. Within seconds, all of his hair was an alarming shade of neon green. Fred and I were trying as hard as we could not to laugh, and Harry was grinning madly.

"What are you grinning about?" Ron asked.

"Nothing, I just really think I'm going to win," Harry lied easily.

"Doubt it," Ron snorted. "I've snapped way more cards then you, and you only have a few left," he added. Harry shrugged and tried to hide his smile. Fred close the door, and we walked back to our room, still trying not to laugh. Once we closed the door behind us, we burst into laughter. I only laughed for a few seconds before a thought came into my head, so I asked Fred about it.

"Uh, It'll be pretty easy for one of them to undo that spell," I pointed out.

"I put a spell lock on it," Fred managed through bursts of laughter. That in itself made me fall into hysterics all over again. I could only imagine the look on Ron's face when he saw his bright green hair. Several moments later, Ginny poked her head in, looking weary.

"What on earth are you two laughing about?" she asked worriedly. "I could hear you from downstairs, and Mum's expecting the worst."

"Nothing too serious," Fred said, momentarily biting back his laughter. He couldn't keep a straight face, and burst into laughter again. Ginny sighed, and closed the door. "I wonder when he'll notice…" Fred wondered aloud. Then, as if on cue, a loud yell echoed from Ron's room, followed by Harry's uncontrollable laughter. We heard thundering footsteps coming toward our room, so we hurriedly scrambled over to one side of the room, sat cross-legged, and started a random conversation just as Ron came in.

"…I walked into his room while he was changing his shirt, and it was just THERE! Who knew??" I said, trying not to sound too innocent to be believable.

"Which one of you did it?" Ron yelled, ignoring our fake conversation. I turned around (my back was facing him) and widened my eyes. Fred started laughing again, this time pointing.

"Good God, Ron. What happened?" I asked, hoping I sounded was grinning

"Wow, Ron… I know you were always meant to be a Slytherin but this is a bit out there," he managed. I smirked.

"Oh, come off it, I know one of you did it!" Ron shouted, anger lacing every word.

"I dunno what you're talking about," Fred shrugged.

"Nor do I," I said.

"I swear, if you don't tell me which one of you did this, I'll-" Ron was cut off as another person entered the room.

"What in Merlin's name is…going…" Mum trailed off when she saw Ron's hair

Fred and I paid for our moment of fun. It took Mum almost an hour to get Ron's hair back to normal, because we refused to tell her how. She went on for what seemed like hours about stupid stuff that had no relevance to the situation. We figured she may not have gone off so hard if we had just told her how to reverse the spell lock, since she mentioned that she had wanted to spend that time cleaning the house. If that was true she would have skipped the yelling… Finally she left us with a smack on the head and said we were to stay in our room till dinner. This didn't bother us too much though.

After an hour I thought I would lose my mind. There wasn't really anything to do in our room since all we really did in there was work and sleep. Fred and I basically sat on the floor side by side in silence for almost two hours. Fred and I are very close, and always have something to talk about, but at that moment we were thinking the same thing- 'Get me out of here!'- so that didn't really need to be voiced. Quietly, I looked at Fred. He was running his hands through his ginger hair, exactly like mine, and yet so different. Even sitting, his shirt complimented his slim figure, as it wasn't baggy, but loosely form fitting. My mind went back to the comparison of looking in a mirror. But I wasn't looking in the mirror. I was looking at my gorgeous twin.

Merlin, It was all so confusing! How could I be attracted to someone who reminded me of me? Whenever I saw him, I saw myself. Sometimes in the bathroom I would look at myself in the mirror trying to imagine Fred, but only seeing myself. You would think I would know the difference between me and another person, but it wouldn't be the first time I was wrong. **(AN- did that make any sense??)**

I tried to look away from him, but I couldn't. Before I could form the thought to think about thinking about trying to stop myself, I was leaning in. Much to my surprise, Fred was too. Our foreheads touched and I could feel his breath. He put his hand on the back of my neck, pulling our faces closer together. In that moment, something in my head snapped, and a million thoughts flooded my brain. _What am I doing? He's my brother! I can't do this. It's wrong!_ I wrenched away from him quickly, and jumped up with wide eyes.

"What's wrong?" Fred asked.

"We shouldn't do this," I gasped. Fred looked genuinely disappointed. I was too, but I didn't show it. "We're brothers!" I said, exasperated. My head was spinning and I sat on my bed.

"If it feels right-"

"Just because it _feels_ right doesn't mean it _is_ right!" I snapped.

**Woo! It is finally up! I'm sooo sorry for the wait, so I'm sure you have given up by now.. But if not, then leave a review! :D It makes me feel good…**

**There was a reference to a wizard wrock song in there, in case anyone noticed. It was the part where Fred and George were having a fake convo when Ron stormed in. It's from the song "We So Did It" by Gred and Forge. There's a pert where it says "Percy's third nipple" so that's what I was talking about. I don't think I made it easy to spot though.. But I have to give credit to my cousin Amber for giving me the idea. :D**

**Enough of my rambling! I shall defiantly have the next chapter up within the next week or so. **


	3. Forgive, But Never Forget

**A/N- See, I told you I would update soon. Hehe, I am trying to overcome the lazy monster inside me… But yes! Here beith chapter three!! I know it has kind of a fail title… but yesh…**

**I know these first chapters aren't as funny as I had hoped them to be, but bear with me, it gets much better.**

**Here you go!! :D**

Chapter 3- Forgive, But Never Forget

I sat on my bed, and Fred sat on his across the room. For the remaining hour and a half until dinner, we stayed like that, silent. Only this time, it wasn't a good silence. It wasn't a, we-don't-need-to-talk-because-we-have-twin-telepathy kind of silence. It was a, this-is-so-awkward-no-thanks-to-you kind of silence. It felt so strange. We _never_ had this kind of silence. I hated this silence, and it tore me up.

After what seemed like years, we were finally called downstairs. I was eager to get out of that room; I'm pretty sure that's the longest consecutive amount of time I have ever spent in there, besides when I'm asleep. We walked downstairs in synch, just like always, and just as quietly as before. It killed me, not talking to him, but I knew if I did, it would inevitably end up on the topic of the reason for our lack of communication.

Mum gave us a brief glare as we sat down, but most of the extreme anger seemed to have evaporated, much to my relief. Harry and Ginny started a conversation about quidditch; Ginny planned to try out for keeper this year. I told her it was a tough position to play, and she would have to do some serious training and practice, seeing as she had never been on the quidditch team before, and the most she's done was play a few games with me, Fred, Ron, Bill, and Charlie (Percy couldn't be bothered with playing, since he was always "working"), and even then, she was a chaser. Fred had nothing to say, which made me want to bite my nails, because he always wanted to throw in his two knuts about quidditch. On the subject of quidditch, Fred and I never tried out. Wood always put us right back in because we were the best beaters Hogwarts would ever know. Well, _we_ thought so, anyway.

"How was work, Dad?" Ron asked through a mouthful of mashed potatoes, causing Harry to lean to his left.

"Fine, fine," Dad said contently. "Nothing too serious; A few enchanted spoons… Nothing like yesterday."

"Oh yeah, did you ever find out how that cursed yo-yo got into that Muggle's house?" I asked. Dad had come home the previous day ranting about a yo-yo that had been cursed to act like a python. The yo-yo had wrapped around the neck of a muggle child, and nearly choked him to death. It got scared off when the mother saw what happened and dropped a cooking pot. The loud noise must have spooked it. They had to use a pretty strong memory charm on her and the kid to make them forget.

"No, but when we do, the culprit will have what's coming to them," he said sternly.

Fred and I tried to go through dinner like normal, but we didn't speak nearly as much as we normally do. Though they didn't show it, everyone else must have thought something was up.

If this were the case, any other family may have thought we had a fight, as siblings usually do, but fights between me and Fred were so rare, they almost didn't exist. On those extremely rare occasions, the fight was always about something stupid, and we made up soon after.

I was almost positive that the rest of them thought something was wrong, because every so often we would get sideways glances from worried eyes. They had to think it was more than a stupid argument.

I, of course, was in no place to tell them not to worry when I was so worried myself. I was worried that it might happen again, or rather almost happen again. I was worried that maybe it might actually happen. I was worried that something more than I anticipated would happen. Though at the same time, I _wanted_ it to happen. The thought of it was enough to send me into near hyperventilation. One half of me said that it was wrong and I shouldn't even think about it, but the other half said, "to hell with right and wrong! Just do it!" I wanted to do it, I really did… But then I would think about how wrong it is to be in love with my own brother; my twin brother at that, which made me even _more_ worried.

Fred, on the other hand, seemed quite far from worried. In fact, the disappointment in his eyes seemed more prominent now than it had before. He wanted what didn't happen to happen. Like I said, I wanted it to happen too, but I couldn't get past the fact that it was bad. Maybe not bad, but... unethical? Wait, I don't even know what that means... But you get that I'm saying, right? I think Ginny was staring at me. She was burning holes into my skull with her eyes. So was everyone else. I could feel feel it.

Or maybe they weren't looking, maybe they weren't worried. Maybe I was paranoid, and freaking out. Maybe I don't need to worry about it almost happening again, because it wouldn't almost happen again. Maybe the situation wouldn't even come about again. That brought me down a bit, but I knew it was for the best.

Fred glanced at me from across the table. I looked down and focused on my steak. I heard him sigh. I closed my eyes and silently took a deep breath. When I opened my eyes, Fred was staring at me. I widened my eyes and did a nonchalant jerk of my head, as if to say 'why are you looking at me?' He shrugged, shook his head, and sighed louder.

"Fred, dear, are you ok?" Mum asked. He was silent for a moment

"No, actually, I'm not," he said in a shaky voice. He stood from the table and speed walked upstairs. He can be such a drama queen sometimes…

"Fred, where are you going?" Dad called after him. I groaned and went after him.

"George!" I ignored Mum and followed Fred to our room and slammed the door behind me.

"What the hell is your problem?" I asked, furious.

"What do you think my problem is?" Fred snapped, just as angry.

"Search me." I threw my hands in the air.

"You rejected me," Fred said quietly. "You rejected me straight to my face telling me how wrong it was." He looked close to tears.

"Well it _is_ wrong," I said sternly, hoping I could make myself believe it too.

"Why? Because we're brothers?" he asked. He was now walking circles around the room. "That doesn't matter, twincest isn't unheard of." I was torn between whether or not I should flinch at the word 'twincest' or laugh because it was a clever play on words.

"That doesn't matter," I informed him, but my attempt to change his mind was getting weak. Fred came to a stop in front of me. "We have a great relationship as brothers, and I don't want to ruin it by-" I didn't get to finish. Fred had taken my head in his hands and pulled me into a kiss. I pulled away violently and stared at him. I had just told him no! But it felt so good. I tried to argue and say no again, but I couldn't. I looked at Fred; he was smiling that same old mischievous smile of his. He leaned in and kissed me again. I let him go longer before yanking away again. I stared at him. I wanted to say no, but then again, I wanted to say yes. I wanted to tell him it was wrong, but he was right; it felt right. I just leaned in and kissed him back for as long as he pleased.

We ended up on his bed fooling around, but we had to separate quickly when we heard a knock at our door. We called that they could come in, and Mum poked her head through the doorway.

"Are you boys alright?" she asked, sounding slightly worried.

"We're fine, Mum," I said, grinning.

"Yeah, never better," Fred agreed. I had a feeling these next four days would go by pretty fast.

**Sorry this chapter is so short. I think the next one will be longer. So yes.. I hope you liked this chapter. A bit more drama than I had intended, but the next chapter has a lot of humor, so yay! **

**I think I had a lot of grammar and punctuation mistakes in this chapter and the last one, but hey… Whaddya gonna do right? Hehe… be sure to leave a review! I'll be sure to update soon. **


	4. Arrival

**A/N- Cue the drum roll! Here it is folks, chapter 4! I made sure this chapter had a lot of humor (though it's probably not as funny as I think it is), so here we go!**

**Oh and I apologize for any extreme out of characterness and grammar mistakes.**

Chapter 4- Arrival

Finally, we arrived at the train station. After spending four days at home doing virtually nothing (aside from cleaning and the obvious), we had been waiting for leaving day with agonizing patience. During these four days, me and Fred made sure we had some alone time, but the days still seemed to drag by and snail speed.

"Hey, Hermione!" Ron yelled as we approached Hermione and Mr. and Mrs. Granger, her Muggle parents. Dad wasted no time rushing over to introduce himself.

Finally, the time came to go through the barrier between platform 9 and 10 to get to platform 9 ¾ **(A/N- Holy specific…)**. Fred and I went first, followed by Ron, Harry, Hermione, and all the parents.

I was relieved when it finally came time to board the train. The crowds of people were making me strangely uneasy. We followed Ron, Hermione, and Harry onto the train. We passed a few compartments, and suddenly, Harry was pulled into a compartment. Ron and Hermione took no notice since they were I front of him. I pulled Fred to a stop in front of the offending compartment, and we peered inside. It was a startling sight to be honest. Draco Malfoy had been the one to pull Harry in. He had Harry shoved up against the wall and they were snogging like there was no tomorrow. For a moment I thought they were trying to bite each other's faces. No joke, they were pretty into it.

Fred and I managed to tear our eyes away from the scene, and began looking for Lee. We had no luck, so we decided to head on over to Ron and Hermione's compartment and let him come to us. When we slid inside, Ron asked where Harry was while we put our trunks (plus an extra for all the quills) in the overhead space.

"Don't ask us, he's _your_ best friend," Fred said quickly, and a little too defensively.

"Last we saw him he was following you," I added, trying to make up for Fred's lack of convincingness. Conveniently, it was at that moment that Harry popped in. His hair looked messier than usual.

"Where did you disappear off to, Harry?" Fred and I asked in unison, grinning.

"Narnia," Harry said, looking red. "I want a lollipop…" he added, talking to himself.

"No kidding," I said, without thinking. Harry looked scandalized. Suddenly, Hermione started giggling. Everyone turned to look at her.

"Sorry…I just- the…Narnia…Thing…" Hermione cleared her throat and looked down blushing. Then we pretty much sat in an awkward silence until the train lurched forward. Minutes seemed to draw on forever until someone opened the compartment door. It was Lee.

"Hello, all," Lee greeted everyone with a smile. Everyone said Hello, and Fred and I stood up saying we were going with him.

"See ya," Harry said.

"Bye," Hermione waved.

"Good riddance!" Ron grinned. Fred and I followed Lee to his compartment and we all sat down. I unconsciously scooted a little closer than necessary to Fred. Lee asked how our summer was, and we pretended to be in deep thought.

"Well…" I tapped my chin.

"Ya know…" Fred finished. We exchanged a quick side glance when Lee asked if we had done anything interesting. We said no, and probably didn't look as innocent as we had hoped to. For a moment I considered maybe telling him about the last four days before getting here, but I decided against it. Some things were better left unsaid. Especially things like this.

"Oh, by the way, we finished the spell check quills. We have em packed in a separate trunk. They turned out amazing," I said excitedly.

Lee grinned. "Really?"

"Yeah, they're brilliant!" Fred said. I proceeded to tell him what it was like to actually like to use one. Lee murmured his approval, grinning like mad. We decided to change into our robes, even though it was far too early. Over the next few hours, Lee fell asleep several times, over which time me and Fred played a few games of exploding snap on the seat. After game six, we put the cards away. More time passed in silence and I was beginning to wonder if we should have just stayed in the other compartment. I was about ready to get up and just go back over there when someone entered the compartment, hopefully to save me from my boredom. It was Harry. After closing the door, he sat down right on my lap, throwing his arm over my shoulder in the process.

"Hi," he said casually.

"Gee, Harry. Flattered as I am, I must ask what you are doing," I said smiling. Fred and Lee laughed. Harry shrugged.

"Nothing… Just saying hi to my two favorite twins." He said with such sincere innocence that I had to think something was up.

"Right…" I squinted my eyes and raised my eyebrows. Fred looked at me with the exact same expression and I shrugged my shoulders. Harry looked around the compartment as though he had never seen one in his life until his eyes landed on Lee. He waved gleefully at him, seeming much more perky than usual. It was kind of creeping me out. Lee waved back slowly.

"Kay, well I'll be going then," Harry said quickly. He jumped up from my lap and bolted out the door.

"Well… Bye then?" I waved at pretty much nothing.

After ten solid minutes of talking about why Harry had decided to up and sit on me, the train had lurched to a stop, and people all over the train had begun gathering in the isle. Fred, Lee, and I stepped into the crowded isle and tried not to get trampled.

I stepped off the train after Lee and Fred and only made it a few steps before a Hufflepuff girl stopped me in my tracks and kissed me. I was a bit taken aback, so I didn't say anything, and the girl walked away grinning.

"My, my, George, is there something you're not telling me?" Lee laughed. _Yes…_ I thought, but I didn't say anything. We continued to the carriages, but I was stopped several times along the way by three Gryffindor girls, a Ravenclaw girl, and a Slytherin boy (everyone basically already knew I was gay).

"Merlin, George! We've only been here for thirty seconds and you're getting tons of action," Fred laughed. "We aren't even inside the castle yet!" he added. I laughed, not even noticing that Lee had fallen a few steps behind.

"George, take off your robes,." He commanded.

"Whoa there, mate," I joked. "Let's wait until we get to the dorms before I strip for you." Lee burst into laughter.

"No, mate, just do it," he said still laughing. I did as I was told, and saw the source of all the kisses.

"So that's why Harry was just lounging on my lap," I said. _**Kiss me. You know you want to…**_ was written in fiery lettering on the back of my robes. Conveniently, Harry, Ron, and Hermione were nearby. I started over to them, Fred right behind me.

"Harry," we said in unison when we caught up to them. Harry turned to look at me. We tried to look serious, but we couldn't help smiling.

"Hey guys," Harry said innocently.

"Hey Harry," Fred greeted.

"I see you learned a new spell," I said casually, showing him my robes. He smirked a light, playful smirk.

"Sure have, you like it?" he asked.

"Oh, yeah-"

"Totally cool-"

"Brilliant actually," I admitted.

"And as cool as it is though-" Fred started,

"But I would rather you take em off," I finished. Harry looked toward Hermione, who stepped forward and tapped my robes with her wand and said '_abominate'_. The words vanished with a swirl of smoke.

"Thanks," I thanked her.

"No problem," Hermione smiled.

"So…" I looked questioningly at Harry. "Why did you-"

"Ron told me to," Harry said before I finished. Ron looked scandalized about having been sold out.

"We believe you," Fred and I said. Ron flushed.

"Well Hermione told us the spell," they muttered.

"And it was your choice to perform it," Hermione said simply. Ron reddened.

We all continued to the carriages separating into two. Harry, Ron, and Hermione in one; me Fred and Lee in another.

**There it is folks! Sorry it's not my best chapter but it gets better as we go on, so hang in there. **** Review please! :D**


	5. Tournaments and Snogging

**Here we go! Chapter five, for your viewing pleasure! This chapter will definitely be better than the last, and it shall be longer. At least it looks that way written down... Hehe, anyway, here ya go!**

**Oh, and I used a few lines from the actual movie (GOF). I'm sure you will know which ones they are.**

Chapter 5: Tournaments and Snogging

After the sorting was over, the Great Hall became noticeably quieter as Dumbledore stood to make his start-of-year announcements.

"Quiet now please, quiet!" he stood from the staff table. "To our first years, welcome, and to our returning students, welcome back! Our caretaker, Mr. Filch has asked me to remind you that the Forbidden Forest is off limits to all students. I would also like to mention that this year, Hogwarts will be hosting a legendary event: The Triwizard Tournament!" A wave of excited whispers rippled through the room.

"Wicked…" We grinned and looked back to Dumbledore, eager for more.

"Now, Mr. Barty Crouch is here to announce the new rule," Dumbledore announced, and stepped aside as Barty Crouch appeared.

"The Ministry had d-decided that students u-under the age of seventeen will not be a-allowed to participate in the tournament." Before he even finished the sentence, there was uproar of disagreement from all the under-seventeen's.

"No!"

"Boo!"

"That's not fair!"

"That's rubbish!" I yelled in anger.

"You don't know what you're saying!" Fred shouted beside me. Even Lee looked disappointed.

"Silence!" Dumbledore took over again, his voice magically magnified. "Before we continue, I would like to introduce our sister school, the lovely ladies of the Baubauxton Academy, and their headmistress, Madame Maxime.

At once, the doors of the Great Hall opened, and two lines of beautiful girls entered, their walk like a dance. They went between the Gryffindor and Ravenclaw tables stopping every few feet to swoon at the students. Following the girls was an extremely tall woman ("Blimey, mate. That's one _big_ woman," I heard Seamus say). When she reached the front of the hall, Dumbledore kissed her hand and announced the next school.

"And now, our proud brothers of the North: the boys of Durmstrang, and their Headmaster, Igor Karkaroff. " A line of rather rugged and tough looking boys filed into the hall brandishing wooden staffs. Following the boys came another, dressed in a heavy fur coat.

"Blimey, Harry! That's him! That's Viktor Krum!" Ron whispered excitedly to Harry, who nodded, still looking at the Baubauxton girls. Krum was just about the best Quidditch seeker the world had ever known.

After all the Durmstrang boys came their Headmaster. Karkaroff was just as, or even more so, rugged as his students. When he reached Dumbledore he pulled him into an embrace. The Baubauxton's and the Durmstrangs sat at separate, recently conjured, tables. Then, Dumbledore continued talking.

"Now, the Triwizard Tournament is a competition consisting of three very dangerous tasks. In the past, people have died in this tournament; therefore it is not to be taken lightly and is not for the faint-hearted. If you do wish to enter the tournament, you must merely write your name upon a piece of parchment and put it in the Goblet of Fire before Thursday." When Dumbledore mentioned the Goblet of Fire, he waved his hand and a goblet full of blue flames appeared. Fred and I grudgingly ignored this information, seeing as we didn't turn seventeen until April. "Now, tuck in!" With that, food appeared on every table. Fred attacked the lamb and potatoes, whereas I went for chicken and chips.

Before long, everything was replaced with puddings, cakes, ice cream, and tarts which Fred and I pretty much inhaled. It's a real mind-boggler why we're as skinny as we are.

*O*O*O*O*O*O*O*O*

There was a slight blockage on the staircase to the common room. Harry, Ron, Hermione, Neville, and Seamus were already there, and Harry and Seamus were trying to get the Fat Lady to let them in.

"Fortuna Major," Harry said irritably.

"Wait, wait!" The Fat Lady persisted. She proceeded to let out a high pitch wail. Everyone in earshot covered their ears, and when she stopped, everyone checked to make sure their ears weren't bleeding. The Fat Lady had a glass in her hand; apparently she was trying to break it with her voice. In a last ditch attempt, she emitted an earsplitting scream and not-so-nonchalantly smashed the glass on the wall. "Oh, look, just with my voice…" she giggled, looking pleased with herself.

"Fortuna Major," Seamus practically shouted, exasperated.

"Alright, alright, go in," The Fat Lady grumbled, swinging open. We all climbed in.

"Why does she keep doing that?" Harry shook his head.

"I know," Seamus agreed. "I mean-"

"She can't even sing!" they said together, and nodded.

Most of the students went up to their dorms to catch up on sleep for lessons the next day, but me, Fred, Lee, Ron, and Harry stayed in the common room. Me and Fred sat on the couch in front of the fire, and Lee sat on the floor in front of us.

"So what do you guys have in the morning?" Lee asked.

"Charms," Fred and I replied together. We had compared schedules the day they arrived. We had all of our classes together, as usual.

"Cool, me too," Lee said. "So you said you got the spell check quills going?" he mentioned.

"Oh yeah!" Fred jumped off the couch. He ran upstairs to the dorm and returned a few minutes later with a quill in hand. He gave it to Lee along with some parchment. He asked us to give him an off the wall word. I suggested . After the weird looks, I explained that Hermione said it once. It was some word form an old muggle movie about magic. Lee shrugged and began writing.

"I must have dome awful because it was correcting me all over the place," Lee laughed. I grinned. I love the feeling of pride I get when we create a successful product.

"Brilliant," Fred grinned. I heard Harry and Ron bustling up to their dorm, and Lee took notice.

"I'm gonna go up to," he said. We bade him goodnight, and just like that we were alone in the common room. I opened my mouth to speak, but it was quickly covered by Fred's. He lay on top of me with his hands in my hair and I couldn't resist. I flung my arms around his neck and kissed him back. The room was dark except for the fireplace, which set the mood. We slowly explored each other's mouths; Fred was much gentler this time. I was disappointed when he pulled away.

"Someone's coming," he whispered. We sat up and moved to our respective sides of the couch.

"Are you guys coming?" Came Lee's voice.

"Yeah, be right up," Fred responded. We stood and retreated to the dorm.

*O*O*O*O*O*O*O*

The next morning I didn't get up until everyone else had gone to breakfast. Technically I didn't get up at all, I just opened my eyes. Fred was already up and mostly dressed; all he needed was the robes. He sauntered over and placed a light kiss on my mouth.

"Morning," he muttered drowsily before yawning. He was never a morning person. I blinked.

"This isn't… weird to you is it?" I asked suddenly. "I mean, we're brothers," I said.

"If it feels right then it must be right," Fred repeated form the summer.

"Look at you being serious," I smirked.

"Ah yes, it happens," he laughed.

"Alright, I should get ready." Fred nodded, and said he would meet me in the Great Hall.

On the way to the Hall, I reflected on last night's events, and those of fifteen minutes ago. Everything seemed so sudden. One day we were normal, and the next, we were all over each other. It seemed to good too be true, and certainly too weird, but I-

My thought was cut short when I missed a step on the staircase and tumbled the rest of the way down. I yelped in pain when I reached the bottom, and wiped the blood from my forehead where I hit an edge.

"Whoa, are you ok?" A fifth year Hufflepuff rushed to my side and helped me up.

"Yeah, I just missed a step," I muttered, brushing myself off. He asked one more time to make sure I was alright and I nodded. I continued carefully down the rest of the stairs, looking down at them the whole time.

I entered the hall and sat across from Lee and Fred, near Dean and Seamus.

"What took you so long?" Fred asked. "And why are you bleeding?" I told them about my mishap on the stairs. I could tell they were struggling not to laugh, and it was becoming increasingly difficult.

"Go ahead, laugh if you must," I sighed, crossing my arms, trying not to smile. They didn't need to be told twice. They laughed harder and longer than they had to, but I wasn't bothered. I eventually had to give in and laugh as well, because it was kind of funny. While they laughed, I heard Dean and Seamus talking.

"…Wish there was some way for us to enter," Dean sighed.

"I know, I really wanted to," Seamus nodded. "Hey George, I bet you and Fred could find a way to enter," he said.

"Yeah, you two could do anything," Dean agreed. "Maybe a potion or something…" A potion… That was brilliant!

"That s brilliant!" I voiced.

"Fred did you-"

"Sure did!" I beamed. Fred grinned, thinking exactly what I was. An aging potion.

**Here it is! Yay! I hope I didn't use too many book quotes… Anyway, I hope you liked it! Chapter 6 shall be up soon. Don't forget to review! **


	6. Shoot and Miss

**The weekend is finally here! That means I can probably get another two chapters to you before Monday. Let us be crossing our fingers for this… **

**I know there is a color change charm because it was used in the Half-Blood Prince book but I don't know what the incantation is, so I asked the stoner kid who sits next to me in fourth period what he thought would be a good incantation for such a charm. He gave me, "color changis motatious". That's what I get for asking a stoner, I guess. Instead, I went onto a Latin word translator and got the Latin words for 'color' and 'change' and got **_**'**__**coloratus carisma'**_**. If anyone knows the real incantation for it, please let me know. **

**I used a whole lot from the movie too, so I'm sorry about that. The whole scene where Fred and George bust into the Great Hall with an aging potion is in there. I feel it kind of had to be there otherwise there would be a big gaping hole, so yes. I should probably put a disclaimer in here this time…**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter. *sniffle***

**Now enough of this ridiculously long A/N! On with the show! Or… reading... Here's chapter 6! **

Chapter 6: Shoot and Miss

Charms seemed to drag on forever. Sitting between Fred and Lee, I rested my head on my hand and sighed. We were taking a long time practicing the Color Changing Charm because most of the class was completely screwing up, not including us.

Fred and I were surprisingly good at Charms. We had to be, being the big bad pranksters we were. Besides, if we were going to be good at something, it might as well be something useful. I don't mean to say all other subjects are useless, but they kind of are. Except for potions of course, but we were utterly terrible at that. This disappointed us, because we also needed to be good at that if we ever planned to extend the range of our jokes and pranks. No matter how hard we tried, we just couldn't do it. Even if we did all the directions perfectly and measured everything out exactly, it turned out completely wrong. That couldn't happen today though. Today was important, but that comes later.

"_Coloratus carisma!" _Lee tried to turn his wash rag from white to blue, but ended up coming out a moldy green.

"Mr. and Mr. Weasley, why don't you give it a try?" Flitwick encouraged us, approaching our table. We pointed our wands at our rags and said the incantation. Our rags immediately turned vibrant blue. "Fantastic!" Flitwick cried. Lee groaned in frustration and pushed his rag around with the tip of his wand.

"How are you so good at this stuff?" He asked.

"Dunno," I shrugged.

"We're just naturally good," Fred said. Lee banged his head on the table.

"Come on Mr. Jordan, once more," Flitwick urged. Lee sighed and tried again. That time, his rag turned a murky brown color. Flitwick scrunched up his nose, looking for words of encouragement to give, but he gave up, and walked away shaking his head.

"Ugh!" Lee threw up his hands. "I'm hopeless!" Fred and I grinned, and I put my hand on his shoulder.

"Yeah, you are," we said together. Lee rolled his eyes.

*O*O*O*O*O*O*

Potions were next, and for once, we were actually excited.

"Today, you will be making a love potion," Snape drawled slowly. "I want a sample flask on my desk at the end of class. The instructions are on the board, and the ingredients are in the cupboard. Go." Snape sat at his desk glaring at everyone, save the Slytherins of course. I smiled; an aging potion is faster to make than a love potion. Fred got the ingredients for the love potion and I got the ingredients for the aging potion. I lit a fire beneath the cauldron, and magicked some water inside. I immediately began chopping up the necessary ingredients. I looked inside my potions book and saw that there was a way you could change it so that you "age" on the inside, but not the outside. I found this to be perfect, and followed the directions, with Fred helping me. I added the essence of belladonna and Doxy eggs, then stirred counterclockwise for three minutes. Fred added three more ingredients as I stirred, just as the directions told us to.

"What color should it be?" I asked.

"It says that it should turn a light orange color after you add the last ingredient: Lacewing flies," Fred told me. I added the flies and the potion turned light orange. I grinned. For once, we actually did a potion correctly. I conjured two flasks and filled them with the potion, and handed one to Fred. "Now let's start on that love potion."

With thirty minutes left in class, just enough time, we began on the required potion. Fred vanished the rest of the aging potion and we started over for the new potion. A few minutes before the end of class, Snape strolled by and looked in our cauldron. Its contents really didn't do us justice. It was a terrible dirty dishwater sort of color, when it was supposed to be pink.

"Well, it seems all Weasley's share the lack of ability to do anything right," Snape drawled, his black eyes drilling into us.

"I suppose so," I said shrugging. I didn't let his words bother me; I had what I wanted.

"Yeah, especially at potions. We all suck at that." Fred agreed. For a split second, shock flitter across Snape's face, not having expected us to agree. He quickly replaced it with a sneer, and continued around the room.

*O*O*O*O*O*O*O*

Fred and I sprinted into the room where the Goblet was being held during one of our breaks***.

"Yeah! Woo!" I shouted victoriously as we entered. "We've done it lads!"

"Yeah, cooked it up just this morning," Fred grinned. Everyone began clapping.

"It's not going to work," came Hermione's voice. She was sitting on a row of bleacher with a book in hand, like always.

"Oh yeah?" I asked, crouching beside her.

"And why is that, Granger?" Fred asked, sitting on her other side. Hermione looked at me, then Fred, then the misty circle around the Goblet.

"See that?" she pointed to the circle. We nodded. "It's an age line. Dumbledore drew it himself."

"So?" we asked in unison. Hermione scoffed and closed her book.

"So," she exhaled sharply, amused. "A genius like Dumbledore couldn't possibly be fooled by a dodge as pathetically dimwitted as an aging potion," she explained, looking proud of herself.

"Ah, but that's why it's so brilliant," I said, looking at Fred.

"Because it's so pathetically dimwitted!" Fred finished. We stood up and went up a step on the bleachers. We grinned wickedly and shook the flasks and uncorked them.

"Ready Fred?"

"Ready George."

"Bottoms up!" we said together. We linked arms and drank the potions. We unlinked and jumped from the bleachers into the circle; nothing happened. "Yes!" we exclaimed, accepting high-fives from those outside the circle. We pulled a slip of parchment from our robes, each with our names on it, and tossed it into the blue flames; nothing. "Yes!" we wooted (**A/N: is that even a word?)**. But our celebration was cut short when the magical fire began spurting everywhere and we were thrown backwards out of the circle. We hit the ground sprouting white hair and a white beard.

"You said!"

"You said!" We lunged at each other, wrestling on the floor not so much out of anger, but for the others entertainment. Their chants of, "fight, fight, fight!" were only silenced when Viktor Krum entered to put his name in.

*O*O*O*O*O*

We went up to Madame Pomfrey and she sorted us out in a flash. We made it to Transfiguration just in time.

"Alright everyone, settle down," McGonagall said. "Let us get started." Everyone expected her to wave her want and magic some animal or object in front of us to transfigure, but she didn't. "I have decided that today, we are going to have a bit of a… fun day," McGonagall clapped her hands together. I leaned over to Fred.

"A fun day?"

"Yeah, since when does McGonagall like to have fun?" Fred snorted. "I didn't know she knew what fun _was_."

"All you will need is your wand, Mr. Weasley," she glared at Fred. Fred raised his hand, very out of character. "Yes, Mr. Weasley?" McGonagall raised her eyebrows and looked at him suspiciously.

"Well professor," Fred began, "I was wondering, what exactly it is that we are going to be leaning today that you consider fun?" he asked, sounding like Hermione.

"Well today," McGonagall smiled slightly, "We will be transfiguring spells into animals."

**A/N- *** I Can't remember if the goblet was being kept in the Great Hall r not so I just put it in a classroom. **

**Thank you for reading! I hope you enjoyed it. Don't forget to leave me a review! It makes me feel good about my writing. **** The next chapter will hopefully be up today.**


	7. School Fun

**A/N- So, I'm thinking about beginning another fic. It'll be a re-write of a story I was doing on Quizilla called "Introducing Spencer". I gave up on it last year since it got to the point where it was pretty much bleeding to death in the street, but I wanna start it up again and make it into a whole series. Lat me know what you guys think.**

**So here it is people, chapter 7. I haven't been getting too many reviews, but tons of people are adding this story to their story alerts. It makes me feel better about my writing when I get reviews, so I would love to get some more, but I appreciate the favoritings and story alert subscribers nonetheless, and thanks to all who did. **

**And many thanks to Luna Lovegood for answering my question from the last chapter; the Goblet of Fire was kept in the entrance hall. Thanks again!**

Chapter 7: School Fun

All of the students buzzed with excitement at McGonagall's plan for the day's lesson.

"Woah!"

"That's awesome!"

"That's possible?"

"Now, now," McGonagall tied to calm everyone down. "Calm yourselves so we can begin!" Everyone was immediately silent. "Now, I'm sure anyone who hears the idea of transfiguring spells into an animal would surely thing that it is an extremely difficult task," McGonagall stated."

"No kidding, transfiguring spells of all things," I muttered to myself.

"In fact, it is not. It's quite easy." She looked at the class before her. "You need simply to think of an animal, and recite '_fereverto_' followed by the spell of your choosing." She pulled out her wand to give an example and said, "Fereverto Aguamenti". A water based cat shot out from the tip of her wand and the whole class gasped, impressed.

"Brilliant!"

"Amazing!"

"_Fereverto Incendio_," Fred and I chanted together. A fiery fox erupted from each of our wands, and we grinned. This was definitely-

**BOOM!**

There was a huge explosion. I quickly put up a shield charm to protect us from any flying debris. McGonagall looked amused and surprised.

"Yes, well you see," she smiled, "The only problem is that they explode. It hasn't yet been figured out how to stop it." She said. With that, I quickly vanished our foxes before they could explode too. "There isn't really any point to learning this, but I thought it would interest you," she added. "Now practice!"

Other than the occasional person forgetting to vanish their animals, everyone did pretty well. We also ended up figuring out that there are some spells you probably shouldn't transfigure. A sixth year Ravenclaw girl tried transfiguring the '_Accio_' spell into a puppy. It came out looking like a regular solid puppy, but then it came zooming toward her. Even when she ran away it followed her. No one wanted to do the vanishing spell in case it hit her so someone put up a shield between her and the puppy. As soon as it hit the invisible wall, it exploded.

The end of the day came with a big sigh of relief. I wanted nothing more than to go to the common room and relax, but I had to get there without collapsing of exhaustion, which was taking up even more energy. We entered the common room to find the couch taken by a couple of third year students, so we looked for two vacant arm chairs. There was only one available, so I collapsed into it and Fred sat on my lap. We got some weird looks from the third years.

"What?" I asked, as if brothers did this all the time.

"There's two of us and one chair," Fred stated. "You learn to compromise." The third years vacated the couch about half an hour later for reasons unknown, but we gladly took their place.

We ended up falling asleep, and slept through dinner. In fact, we didn't wake up until the late hours of the night. We woke up at the same time, thanks to our super twin power. When we woke, I heard movement. Surely everyone had gone to sleep by now hadn't they? I got off the couch quietly, but Fred stayed where he was. I followed the light sounds to the far corner of the dark room. Harry and Malfoy were snogging in the corner, apparently unaware that there were others in the room. I motioned for Fred to come over. He appeared by my side quickly and soundlessly. We cleared our throats loudly. Harry and Malfoy jumped nearly ten feet apart.

"So," I rocked on my heels.

"Whatcha doing?" Fred asked innocently. They were stunned silent. I rolled my eyes and laughed. It only took a second to decide what to do next.

"Don't worry," I said, and pulled Fred into a kiss. "Everyone has a secret." For a moment, Fred looked as shocked as Harry and Draco, but he quickly pulled it to gether and tried to look mysterious.

"Are you two-?" Harry began.

"Yes."

"When did you-?" Draco tried.

"Over the summer."

Why did-?"

"We have no clue," we crossed our arms. Draco stood up. Even in the dark I could see him blushing.

"I guess I should go," he muttered. Harry shrugged and nodded. Draco gave a feeble wave before turning to leave. Harry quickly pulled him into a goodbye kiss and they both turned a deep shade of red. After Draco was gone, I turned to Harry.

"So, Malfoy huh?" I asked in a light teasing tone. Harry blushed deeper.

"Was he there when you went to 'Narnia'?" Fred asked.

"And furthermore, did he satisfy that craving for a lollipop?" I asked in mock seriousness. Harry couldn't help smiling at that.

"He's not as bad as people make him out to be," Harry sighed. "Not to me anyway," he added.

"Ah, love…" I sighed. "Isn't it just…"

"Amazing?" Fred rested his head on my shoulder. I grinned.

"Yes, Fred, amazing," I agreed I pressed my lips to his. Harry cleared his throat. Fred looked at him.

"Quiet, Harry. You're ruining the moment," he said, and returned to kissing me. I opened my eyes a little and looked at Harry. I had to pull away because I was laughing so hard. The look on Harry's face was hilarious and he looked like he might faint when I started laughing.

"What's the matter Harry?" I asked, trying to sound calm despite my laughter.

"Nothing," Harry shook his head. "I'm going to bed," he said.

"Us too," Fred said, and we all retreated upstairs.

*O*O*O*O*O*

The next day seemed to zoom by much faster than usual. Herbology and Charms whizzed by and even History of Magic went by quickly. In transfiguration, we continued practicing transfiguring spells and there were a lot of explosions. In the hours we weren't practicing, a lot of us forgot that we were supposed to vanish them. Professor McGonagall gladly watched us make our mistakes. She looked very amused with each explosion.

Ironically enough, we made an aging potion in potions. We made it perfectly of course. When Snape came by, he just glared at us; there was nothing for him to criticize.

At dinner, Fred, Lee, and I were trying to come up with more joke ideas.

"What about…uh… Super Mega Exploding Chewing Gum!" Lee exclaimed, and looked at us like he expected us to praise him for coming up with such an idea.

"Sure, if you wanna get arrested," Fred snorted. Lee looked slightly put down.

"Oi, Fred and George!" Seamus called from a few people down. "Shame your potion didn't work," he said, looking sympathetic.

"Yeah, would've been brilliant if it did," Dean said. I grinned. Even when we fail, we win.

"Yeah, It's too bad," I called back. "We were so close though," I added. Seamus and Dean nodded and returned to their food.

*O*O*O*O*O*

That night I went to be much earlier than usual. Despite being in the common room surrounded by a bunch of Gryffindors, I felt strangely alone. It was unusual because I was literally _never_ alone. My dreams reflected this feeling: The classrooms were empty, as was the Great Hall, and the towers. In fact, it seemed the whole school was empty. There was absolutely no noise, not a single sound. The silence was so loud it hurt my ears. I ran up and down the stairs, through corridors, and around corners, but there was no one. My ears rang and my breathing picked up. There wasn't a single sign of life besides me and I was hyperventilating. I dropped to my knees in the entrance hall and pulled at my hair and I was crying. The silence screamed so loud I couldn't even think.

When I woke, it was still dark, and Fred was kneeling next to my bed looking worried. Looking around, I saw most of our dorm mates were awake and looking at me. I looked at Fred, who looked about to cry.

I had never felt like that in my life, and I had no idea what triggered it. I had no reason to feel that way because ever since birth I had never truly been alone…

"George…" Fred looked so upset it hurt, like, physically hurt. "Are you ok?" he asked. I wanted to say yes, and stop him worrying, but I couldn't.

"Let's go downstairs," I murmured.

**A/N- Dun dun dun!!!! And there it is, chapter 7. I hope it came out good. Next chapter will hopefully be up tomorrow. **


	8. Silence

**A/N- Thank you so much for all the reviews you guys, I really appreciate it! So I hope this chapter isn't too dramatic, but here it is. Chapter 8! **

Chapter 8: Silence

We sat on the couch. I explained my nightmare; every detail, every pain, every fear. When I was done, there was silence. I hadn't expected him to say anything, not when even I couldn't explain it.

After a few silent seconds, I broke into quiet sobs. I felt really self-conscience about it, because crying is one of those things I just don't do. I have never had any reason to cry. I didn't think I had any reason to be crying then either seeing as I hadn't had any reason to have that dream, but I cried anyways. Fred wrapped his arms around me, letting me cry into his shoulder until I fell asleep again. That time, it was dreamless.

The next day was Saturday. Fred had slipped out from under me in the night and slept on the floor as not to arise suspicion among our fellow house mates. My stomach hurt when I woke up, and thankfully no one from our dorm mentioned last night. Even though I was awake, I didn't open my eyes; I just lay on the couch with my eyes closed. The common room buzzed with noise, unusual for a Saturday morning since people were usually out and about around the grounds by now, but I was relived. The last thing I needed was more quiet. When I opened my eyes, they were wet from tears. I quickly wiped them away before anyone else could see. I glanced to the floor and saw Fred staring at the ceiling. The stomach ache tuned into hunger and I got up, stepping over Fred, to get to the portrait hole. He didn't follow me. I went down the very staircases that haunted my dreams. I could almost feel my dream-self pushing past me in a frantic attempt to find someone, anyone.

The Great Hall wasn't quiet, but it wasn't loud either. I almost wished there would be an earthquake or something so that there would be more noise, be it screams or shattering windows. I sat down at the nearly empty Gryffindor table and took a piece of toast. As I ate it, I concentrated on my breathing.

"Hey." Fred's voice scared me so much I jumped. He sat down next to me.

"Hey hey," I said, trying to sound cheery. His eyes asked if I was ok. Mine said I was now.

"So Ginny came down while you were still asleep," he said, helping himself to some bacon.

"And what did you say?" I inquired, knitting my eyebrows.

"I said 'good morning'," he replied, grinning. I smiled back. He had me worried. "You don't think I'd tell her about that unless I had your ok, did you?"

"I guess not," I replied, shrugging.

After breakfast, Fred and I wandered outside, going along the path you would take to get to Hagrid's hut. Usually no one's in that general area unless they have lessons, but when we got there we weren't alone; on the hill sat Harry and Draco. We shuffled up and sat next to them.

"What goes on?"

"Nothing," Harry and Malfoy said together. I drew my knees to my chest.

"Looks like this is the new hot spot," Fred commented.

"Yeah, it's the only place we can be alone," Draco said.

"No kidding," I sighed. "So how long have you been up here?" I asked.

"Since around seven," Harry answered. I looked at my watch; it was nine-fifteen.

"You've been just sitting here?" Fred raised an eyebrow.

"Well, not just sitting…" Harry blushed, but Draco didn't. Fred looked at me grinning. We could only imagine the limitless things you could do all alone on a hill. After a few moments, Draco pulled Harry into a kiss, and I had to admit that it was odd to see; Harry Potter and Draco Malfoy, supposed sworn enemies pretty much going at it. Fred looked at me again, still grinning. I rolled my eyes and gave into his silent request. Fred kissed me with a passion that made the silence bearable. He lightly pushed me onto the grass so that he was lying on top of me. The grass made the back of my neck itch but I didn't care. His hands tangled in my hair and I put my hands on his back. I felt my twin shift his weight to the left and suddenly both of us were tumbling down the hill. We came to a stop at the bottom, itchy and covered in grass. I was laughing so hard I couldn't breathe. From the top of the hill, Harry and Malfoy were trying to ask if we were ok, but they were laughing too hard to form words, which was fine since we were laughing too hard to answer anyway.

*O*O*O*O*O*

The rest of the weekend passed far too quickly. In transfiguration, we did not practice transfiguring spells, but used it as a study hall instead. The inevitable silence crashed down around us and my head started pounding. After a minute my breath started getting shallow.

"Mr. Weasley?" McGonagall's voice echoed in the quiet room. My head snapped up, but behind me, Fred spoke.

"Professor, where exactly did the idea for transfiguring spells come from?" he asked, impressively sounding genuinely interested.

"Well actually, it came about many years ago when…" I didn't soak in a single word she said, I was just glad her voice was breaking the quiet. I would have to thank Fred later. I mentally scolded myself. Why the bloody hell was I getting so worked up about silence? If anything I should be enjoying it.

I didn't have to worry about that problem in History of Magic since all he did was drone on and on about stuff no one cared about. I just about fell asleep, but I willed myself to stay awake; I didn't want a detention. I don't know how Binns lives- or rather, exists- with himself. He gives detentions if you fall _asleep when I'm sure he knows damn well he is the most boring teacher in the school._

At dinner, Harry came and sat next to me.

"Hey," he greeted me, and smiled just like he had on the train. I raised my eyebrows.

"Uh…Hi?" I looked at him quizzically. He just kept smiling. I was once again creeped out. "So, come to write more stuff on my robes again?" I asked. I heard giggling from the Ravenclaw table, and sighed.

"No…" Harry said. "I came to distract you while Ron does!" he said quickly, and jumped up. He and Ron dashed back to their seats. I stood up and shrugged out of my robes.

"'I love ponies'," I read. The giggles grew louder. "The cliché-ness kills m…" I said. Ron heard me and turned red.

"Yeah, Ron. You couldn't think of anything better than 'I love ponies'?" Fred teased.

"Well I had to think fast!" Ron gave his poor defense.

"Oh, _please, _Ron. I can think faster and better than that." I teased. Ron rolled his eyes and muttered something incomprehensible. "Get rid of it please." Ron mumbled the same thing Hermione had last time, and they vanished.

On our way to the common room, me and Fred were talking about Harry and Ron's recent mischief.

"I always knew we would be a good influence on them," Fred said with pride.

"Ah, yes. Finally our awesomeness is rubbing off on others!" I smirked. We entered the common room and sat in the corner. Ginny soon joined us.

"Hello my awesome mischief making brothers!" she greeted cheerfully.

"Hello our currently kissing up sister," I said back. Fred high fived me.

"I'm not kissing up!" Ginny exaggerated the offended look on her face. We raised our eyebrows. "Really, I'm not," Ginny stated seriously.

"I suppose we can believe you…" Fred said slowly.

"For now!" I ended dramatically, and Ginny laughed.

"So you heard about Harry and Draco I assume," she said.

"Depends what you mean by 'heard about'," I said.

"By 'heard about', I mean 'know they're together'," Ginny crossed her arms.

"Then yes, yes we have," Fred responded. He shook his hair out of his eyes, and I stared. Ginny obviously took notice.

"You know, that's just so phenomenal," she said quietly. "Twincest." I just about threw up. How the fuck did she know? She was never there when we did anything! This couldn't even be remotely possible!

"I-I- uh, how-how d-did you-?" I stammered. Even Fred, who was usually cool and composed, looked shocked.

"Fred, George, please. I'm your sister. What makes you think I couldn't figure it out?" She looked at us. "I'm not that naïve. Plus I saw all of you on the hill on Saturday," she added.

"Uh…" Fred and looked at each other. "Is that how you found out about Harry and Draco?"

"Yup," Ginny nodded. "Oh, and George, are you ok after…" she trailed off.

"Who told you?" I asked, Immediately looking at Fred.

"Some of the boys from your dorm asked ME if you were ok, so I had to ask," Ginny explained.

"I'm fine now," I said quietly.

"Good," Ginny smiled. "I was worried."

*O*O*O*O*O*

That night the silence wasn't quite as bad, but it still bothered me.

I dreamt of silence again, but this time it was different. The school scene was normal, but it was like someone put it on mute. People were walking around chatting, but I couldn't hear it. I spoke to people, and I could hear myself, but I couldn't hear their response. I began speaking louder and louder until I was yelling, much to the dismay of the surrounding people, but their complaints couldn't be heard. The sound of my own voice was the only thing keeping me sane.

My eyes flew open. The dorm was empty and it was morning. I sat up and noticed Fred was on the bed next to me.

"Where is everyone?" I asked franticly. "What time is it? Haven't lessons started?"

"Relax, George!" Fred hushed me. I relaxed at the sound of him saying my name. "I had a sleeping charm on you."

"Why?"

I figured we could skive off our first class and…have time to ourselves." His seductive tone was irresistible. I found myself once again in the laying position with Fred kissing me hard. I pulled him closer, but no matter how close he was, he wasn't close enough. He pulled away from my mouth and kissed my neck while unbuttoning my PJ shirt. This was it. We were gonna put the 'incest' in 'twincest'.**

Now, I don't go into detail about the more personal things, but I will say this: It wasn't rough and meaningless, like many 'quickies'. It was… special I guess you could say. I most certainly didn't have to worry about silence. Oh Merlin... That may have been saying too much. Never mind.

"Class starts in ten minutes," I commented. Fred and I were both laying down in my bed. Fred had his arms around my waist and was resting his head on my chest.

"I know," he said, not sounding the least bit concerned.

"We should probably get dressed," I said.

"We should," Fred agreed, but made no move to get up. He looked at me and gave an over exaggerated sigh. "Alright, alright," he said and sat up. I laughed.

"I don't want to either, but I really don't want to think up an excuse for missing potions."

"Yeah…" Fred agreed half-heartedly.

We were dressed before the school bell rang, and we slipped out of the common room. We quickly blended with everyone else and made it to potions just in time.

**A/N- This is the longest chapter I've posted so far. :D Thanks to everyone who has added this story to their faves and/or put it on their story alerts and reviewed. I'm really happy you guys like it. Chapter 9 shall be up soon!**

**** Incest is only incest if you actually have sexual relations with said family member, so that's why I said the whole " putting incest in to twincest" thing, but I'm sure you knew that. ;)**


	9. Bacon and Charms

**A/N- Well, my dearies, here is chapter 9, for your viewing pleasure! I want to give a shout out to my bestie, Canon. He has bee eagerly awaiting an update, so here it is. Love ya!**

Chapter 9- Bacon and Charms

To our great shock, when we entered the dungeons, Snape did not await us with an evil glare. Instead, we found… Dumbledore.

"Wow, this is…" I began.

"Un-expected?" Fred finished.

"Yeah," I knit my eyebrows. Dumbledore was standing peacefully in front of Snape's desk watching the students drift in. Once everyone was seated, he simply smiled. I raised my hand.

"Ah, Mr. Weasley," Dumbledore said in his deep voice. "I assume you are going to ask me where I got my new shoes." His eyes twinkled. "It just so happens I had them custom made by Madame Malkin."

"Er, actually Sir, I was going to ask why professor Snape isn't here," I said, smiling.

"Not that he's complaining!" Fred added quickly and rather loudly. Dumbledore chuckled.

"I am afraid that Professor Snape is unfit for teaching today," he explained. I was tempted to ask why, but I figured that if he didn't say why in the first place, he had a good reason. For a moment he just stood there and smile at us. Then, he clapped his hands, the sound echoing through the dungeons. "Now I'm no potions master myself, so why don't you just pick one, and try your best. Surprise me!" With that said, he sat in Snape's chair, and folded his hands. A light buzz of people talking swept over the room.

"What should we do?" I asked.

"I dunno… Shrinking potion?" Fred suggested. I nodded, and stood to get the ingredients while Fred lit a fire under the cauldron. I returned to the table and put the ingredients down. I filled the cauldron with water and added the first few items; the potion turned deep purple.

The minutes ticked on.

"Check the book to see what color it should be," Fred said, squinting at the portion. I pulled my book out of my bag.

"It says that after you add the juice from the toad eyes, it should turn turquoise." We looked at the potion again.

"Looks more teal," Fred stated, rubbing his head. I shrugged.

"Close enough," I said, and added my next ingredient.

After class everyone put a flask of their potion on the desk.

"Everyone please take note that tomorrow is the first Hogsmede trip, and Thursday is when the champions will be announced," Dumbledore reminded us as we left.

*O*O*O*O*O*

On the way to Charms, three girls from Baubauxton's Academy passed us, smiling and waving. We smiled and waved back. Fred smiled to himself as they passed. I lightly punched his arm.

"Hey!" he laughed.

"Don't get any ideas," I laughed. "You're taken," I said, trying to be serious, even though I didn't have to worry about some French girl stealing his heart.

"Really?" Came a voice from behind us. "By who?" Hermione, Harry, and Ron came up beside us, and I nearly died.

"What do you mean, by who?" Fred asked, sounding confused.

"George just said you were taken," Ron said. "You never told me."

"I didn't say he was taken," I defended, looking innocent. Well, _trying_ to anyway.

"Then what did you say?" Harry asked, winking so only Fred and I could see. I wracked my head quickly.

"I… said that he's… Bacon?" I said, but it came out sounding more like a question. Harry tried to choke back his laughter, but failed with flying colors.

"He's bacon?" Hermione and Ron asked. I could tell it was talking every bit of strength that Fred had not to burst into laughter.

"Yes…" I glared at my twin.

"Why is he bacon?" Ron asked. Merlin, what was the big deal? If I wanted to say someone was bacon, they should take it no questions asked.

Fred looked at me expectantly. "Yeah, George, why AM I bacon?" he asked. That didn't help.

"B-because... he's uh... He's… tall and skinny," I tried. Hermione looked amused.

"In that case, you're bacon too," she pointed out.

"Why thank you!" I smiled. Fred then grabbed me and pulled me to the charms class room. He burst into laughter.

"I'm BACON? Really?" Fred smirked. "Wow, Georgie, I thought you could think better and faster than Ron?" he laughed.

"Oh, shut up," I smacked his arm and grinned.

We sat with Lee at our usual table. We were going over color-changing charms, again. Flitwick let us get started right away.

"_coloratus carisma_" Lee' sock turned orange.

"What color are you aiming for?" I asked.

"Green," Lee groaned; Fred and I grinned.

"We can do that easy," I said, and we switched off between different shades of green.

"Lime Green."

"Hunter green."

"Forest green."

"Camo green."

"And of course, regular green." Lee stared at us in shock.

"How are you guys doing that? You're naturals!" he exclaimed. I grinned.

"Well we had to be good at something," I shrugged.

"And if we wanna be master pranksters, we need to be good at charms," Fred added.

"Maybe I can be the master pranksters' apprentice?" Lee asked, smiling. We laughed.

*O*O*O*O*O*

In the common room, Harry sat with us by the fire.

"So, Hogsmede tomorrow," he stated. We nodded. "Me and Draco aren't going," he said suddenly.

"Why?" I asked. Last year he was willing to hide under his invisibility cloak and sneak through a secret passage to get to Hogsmede, and now this year he just wasn't going?

"Well if we go it's not like we can do anything together," he said. "We're just gonna stay here and spend the day together."

"That actually sounds like a good idea," Fred commented.

"Yeah, just the four of us here by ourselves." I smiled to myself. We could do pretty much whatever we wanted with no other students around (save for the first and second years). Fred snapped me out of my daze before my thoughts could get too strange.

"Its settled then?"

"Yeah," I grinned.

"Right on," Harry smiled and stood. "I'm gonna go tell Ron I'm feeling a little under the weather," he coughed to add some effect. I grinned and shook my head laughing.

*O*O*O*O*O*

That night I laid in bed thinking about a lot of random things, one of which was why Harry chose Draco of all people. They were mortal enemies, I mean… How did it even happen? Just another mind boggling mystery that even magic couldn't solve.

The next morning I awoke to an almost empty dorm. Fred was still asleep in the next bed and Lee was quietly chatting with a fellow sixth year student by his bed. All first and second years were already up and roaming the castle, or in the library. Lee looked over at me.

"Hi George! He exclaimed. "I want you to meet Oliver**," Oliver stuck his hand out and I shook. He had messy brown hair and tons of freckles.

"Hi, Oliver," I greeted. "I'm George."

"Who's that" asked a sleepy Fred from beside me.

"Oliver, apparently." I smiled and turned back to him. "I haven't seen you around," I said.

"Yeah…" Oliver shrugged. "Not many people take notice to me because I'm so shy," he explained.

"The awesome people always go unnoticed," I joked.

"But we are the exception," fred sais, appearing beside me. Oliver laughed.

"So why aren't you going to Hogsmede?" I asked. Oliver shrugged.

"I don't really know anyone so I figured I would just stay behind." I asked Lee for his reason. Turns out Snape caught him sneaking into the kitchens in the middle of the night and banned the dark skinned boy from the next two trips. Oliver announced he was going top the library, and left after the round of goodbyes. Lee went with him.

I put a light kiss on Fred's lips as Harry came in. I said hello and returned to Fred. I kissed him again. He pulled away quickly for a breath and when he leaned back in, my mouth landed on unfamiliar lips. I opened my eyes and instead of seeing Fred's hazel ones, I saw Harry's green ones. I pulled away quickly. Fred and Herry laughed.

"Sorry, couldn't resist," Harry joked.

"You might want to work on your control, Draco might get jealous," I teased.

"Draco doesn't get jealous," Draco said from the doorway.

"How did you get in here?" Fred asked.

"The password," Draco shrugged.

"Well, now that we're all here, how do we begin our day of fun?" I asked. I didn't get a verbal response, just more kissing. I pulled my brother closer to me, but still not close enough. I heard shuffling, and knew Harry and Draco were headed to the opposite side of the room. Fred pulled away from my mouth just long enough to take my shirt off, and then started kissing my neck. His kissed got lower and lover, going from my neck, to my chest, to my stomach, to my-

"Uh…" a voice sounded at the door. Fred jerked away from me, and either Harry or Draco hit the floor.

**A/N- Oooooh, who could it be?? Find out next time folks!**

**I feel like the chapter got pretty bad near the end cuz I was rushing to get it typed, so sorry about that. Review please! :D**


	10. Finding Out

**A/N- I am sooo sorry I didn't get this out when I said I would, but I've been sick, and this is my first time on the computer since my last chapter. But fear not, because here it is! Sorry if it's a lot of dialogue, but that's just how it came out. **

Chapter 10: Finding Out

Oliver stood in the doorway of the dorm looking… Well I'm really not sure what emotion he looked.

"I-I'm sorry, I-I-I didn't m-mean to, uh…" Oliver stuttered, tuning red before quickly exiting.

"Wow, yet another person knows," I sighed. "It's like we're in some extremely predictable teen Muggle movie." Smiles formed despite the sudden shock.

"Maybe he'll think he was dreaming?"Harry tried to sound hopeful.

"I'm sure," Draco said, rolling his eyes.

Dressed and groomed, the four of us descended the stairs into the common room. Oliver was laying on the couch with his eyes closed. Fred and I stood behind the couch.

"Hey Oliver." Oliver opened his eyes.

"Uh/… Hey," he said awkwardly, looking uncomfortable. Fred and I smiled our identical smiles.

"What's wrong?" I asked innocently. "You look like you saw something either really weird or really scary. Or both." Oliver sat up and looked at me.

"Uh, yeah. I saw…" Oliver paused.

"What did you see?" Harry asked from across the room. Draco crossed his arms.

"Er, I saw you kissing your brother and you kissing the blonde kid." He pointed at one of us with each reference. I looked at Fred as though in shock and Harry and Draco looked at each other with convincing looks of disgust.

"You saw _that_?" Draco asked. "How is that even possible?" he sneered. Oliver looked at Draco incredulously.

"Why the hell are you even here?" he asked in angry confusion. "You're a Slytherin," he added.

"I'm quite aware of that, thanks," Draco drawled while rolling his eyes. "I'm here because they are my friends," he stated, pointing in our general direction. Oliver flicked his gaze from me, to Fred, to Harry, to Draco. He stood up.

"Right… Well then explain what was going on up there," Oliver demanded, pointing at the stairs.

"You left, we got dressed, and here we are. Not much interest to be held," I said coking my said to the left.

"You guys are lousy liars," Oliver stated.

"Apparently not, that's insane," Harry laughed.

"Yeah, but that's what I saw," Oliver said, but that time he sounded less sure..

"Me and Potter? Together? That's about as likely as me and Granger," Draco snorted. "Or worse, me and Weasley." I shot Draco an offended glare for added effect. Draco put his hands in the air. "Just saying," he defended. I rolled my eyes, and Fred turned to me.

"George, you're my brother, and I love you, but I don't _love_ you," he said, smirking.

"A relief to say the least Fred, because that's exactly how I feel," I agreed. We shook hands and leaned against each other back-to-back with our arms crossed. Oliver looked thoroughly confused and shook his head.

"Uh, ok, well you keep up your game then, maybe I'll believe you later…" he said, standing up. "I'm going back to the library."

"Alright then." Harry waved.

"See ya around," Draco said.

"Buh bye," Fred and I said, smirking.

*O*O*O*O*O*

"How am I doing?" Fred asked thickly.

"Slow down a bit," I panted. Fred obliged and slowed his pace. I let out a gasp and gripped the bedpost, my other hand instantly going to Fred's hair. My whole body felt hot, and my forehead was all sweaty. I threw my head back when Fred found his rhythm and hit his stride.

"I'm close," he moaned quietly.

"Ok," I murmured. I couldn't manage much else. Only moments later, Fred extracted himself. I dropped to my stomach breathing hard, rubbing my hands through my hair. Fred muttered a cleaning spell and then dropped beside me. He wrapped his arms around me, making me face him, and kissed my head.

"How was that?" he asked.

"I'm sure you're ten times better than anyone not related to me," I said honestly. "Only my twin could know exactly what I like, because… well he's my twin." I said, and Fred laughed softly.

"That's true," he whispered in my ear, and kissed me firmly on the lips. I slid my hands up and down his waist, and he cradled my face. "I love you," he told me. I smiled.

"Of course you do, you're my brother," I teased.

"I love you as more than a brother," he told me seriously. My heart fluttered and I smiled a little.

"I love you too," I said quietly, and kissed him. Fred rested his beautiful head in the crook of my neck and I stroked his hair. I pulled the blanket over us and we fell asleep like that.

*O*O*O*O*O*

"What on earth are they doing?"

"Why are they in the same bed?"

"Well, they're twins. Twins share beds sometimes."

"Yeah, but why are they naked?"

"How come all of you are such nosey prats?" Fred responded to the murmurs that were buzzing through the room. The dorm silenced. I felt Fred sit up and decided it was safe to open my eyes. It looked as though the entire house of Gryffindor was crammed into the sixth year dorm. "Are you all here for the show?" Fred asked sardonically. "Sorry, you're a tad late, come back this time next week."

"You know, I don't remember there being so many sixth years," I said dryly. "Maybe anyone who is not a sixth year should shove off!" With that said, most of the dorm emptied, save for Lee, Harry, and Oliver.

"What, pray tell, was the whole of Gryffindor doing in here?" Fred asked irritably.

"Well, firstly, all the sixth years came up last night and got an eyeful of _that_," Lee said.

"And this morning, they spread it through the rest of the House," Oliver added triumphantly.

"Sorry guys," Harry shrugged. "I'm sure you didn't want everyone finding out like this, let alone finding out at all," he said sympathetically. I asked why he was apologizing, and he said he just felt bad.

"I knew it! I knew it!" Oliver jumped up and started dancing around the room.

"Well I didn't, but I guess some things are better left unsaid," Lee said, while giving Oliver, who was still dancing, a funny look. "Anyway, I think I'll be going downstairs." Oliver followed him, dancing the whole way, and left just Harry.

"So how was it with Draco?" I asked immediately

"Amazing!" Harry gladly responded. "He's so perfect!" he smiled and crossed his legs, sighing.

"Could you turn it down a bit Harry, my gaydar is going crazy," Fred said casually. I burst out laughing and high-fived him.

"Being just a tad hypocritical aren't we?" Harry raised an eyebrow. "If I'm not mistaken, there were to boys in here last night getting it on. Oh wait, that you the two of you!" Harry smirked.

"This is true," I said, "But the difference is, you're still locked up in that big comfy closet of yours, and we wouldn't want to make a scene by allowing you to act like a flamer, now would we?"

"Therefore, by telling you too stop acting so gay, we're helping you," Fred shrugged and smiled. Harry rolled his eyes, and laughed. He announced that he was going down stairs to let us get dressed. "Did we really sleep all the way till this morning?" Fred asked.

"I guess," I shrugged and pulled on my trousers.

"Well at least we don't have to be secretive with Gryffindor anymore," Fred sighed. He buttoned up his white shirt and pulled his sweater over his head.

"Yeah… At the very least." I did up my tie and we tied our shoes in silence.

By the time we got downstairs, most of Gryffindor had gone down to breakfast, but the few who were still in the common room were chatting amongst themselves. They didn't stare at us in horror or tell us off. They were just… There. On the way to the Great Hall we saw a fellow sixth year, Jilani, heading back to the common room. When she saw us she smiled.

"Hey Fred, George. I left my potions book in my dorm, so I'm going back for it," she said.

"Right, err, so see you later then," I said awkwardly, and smiled weakly. We were about to continue on our way, but Jilani stopped us.

"Hey, guys, relax. No one cares that you're together. You don't need to be so worried," she assured us, smiling sincerely.

"Thanks," Fred and I said in unison, smiling back. Jilani bid us goodbye and continued up the stairs.

We settled at the Gryffindor table across from Lee. I didn't notice I was next to Ron until he turned to me and said, "Why didn't you tell me?"

"Because you would throw a major fit," Fred said simply.

"Er… yeah.. that's understandable I guess, but come on, I'm your brother." He looked almost disappointed and I had to look down.

"Sorry little brother. Some things are better left unsaid."

**A/N- Well here it is. I hope it's not too terrible. Haha, leave me a review telling me what you think! **


	11. Champions Chosen

**A/N- So I was watching Prisoner of Azkaban last night and realized I made a pretty big mistake in chapter 5. This story is based in Fred and George's 6****th**** year (Which is Harry's 4****th**** year) so it would be based in the 4****th**** movie/book. Well I took the scene from movie three where The Fat Lady is trying to break a glass with her voice and put in chapter 5. I'm really sorry about that. I'm gonna leave it there though, because I'm too lazy to fix it :P**

**Now, here I give you… Chapter 11!**

Chapter 11: Champions Chosen

The only light in the Great Hall came from candles, and the only sounds, from the quiet chatter of the students. The three champions were about to be announced, and of course everyone was rather excited. Dumbledore entered the Great Hall swiftly and silently, stopping in front of the Goblet of Fire.

"We will now find out who the three Triwizard Champions will be!" His voice boomed through the hall. He stood for a moment, his eyes twinkling as always. Then, suddenly, the goblet's blue flames became scarlet and out shot a slip of parchment shaped like a flower. "The Baubauxton's champion is... Fleur Delecor! " Dumbledore announced after snatching the parchment out of the air. Fleur stood happily to shake the headmaster's hand. Everyone clapped as she disappeared into the Trophy Room. Almost at the exact moment that the door shut, the flames turned scarlet again, and another piece of parchment came flying out. "Viktor Krum for Durmstrang!"

"Ron's probably peeing his pants with excitement," I laughed as I clapped. We looked over to see Ron squirming, grinning, and clapping madly.

"No joke," Fred snorted. When we looked back at Dumbledore, he was already holding the third parchment.

"The Hogwarts champion is… Cedric Diggory!" More clapping as Cedric stood up. "Now if our champions could-" Before Dumbledore could finish, the goblets flames turned scarlet for a fourth time and a singed piece of parchment came shooting out.

"Aren't there only supposed to be two?" Fred asked quizzically.

"Yeah," I replied, just as confused as him. Dumbledore read the name aloud.

"Harry Potter…" he said softly. At first, I didn't believe it. "HARRY POTTER!" Dumbledore repeated the name, now yelling. My jaw dropped as Harry slowly stood up, being pushed forward by Hermione. He walked slowly to the front of the large room, looking nervous as someone shouted out that he was a cheat, and another said that he was not seventeen yet. He entered the trophy room with the others.

"How in the world…" Fred looked scandalized. Across the room, I saw Draco amongst the other Slytherins looking utterly dumbfounded.

Dumbledore immediately dismissed everyone and entered the Trophy Room, slamming the door behind him. We didn't have any classes that day so we took our time heading back to the common room.

"How the bloody hell did he manage to get his name in?" I asked in disbelief.

"I have no idea," Fred sighed.

"You'd think he would tell someone, like Ron or Draco or someone."

"Yeah. No matter what, we would hear about it," Fred sighed again. "Chivalry," he added when we reached the portrait hole. We climbed inside. There was hardly anyone there, so I figured that they were all lingering around the Great Hall hoping to catch wind of how the Boy Who Lived managed to get his name into the goblet. We collapsed onto the couch to wait for Harry.

It seemed like hours later that Harry clambered into the common room, followed by an alarming number of students who were firing questions at him. Ron was among the group, but he stayed silent and made sure that every time Harry glanced in his general direction, he glared. Harry joined us on the couch, still being harassed by students, and looked tired and defeated.

"Alright, clear off everyone, leave him alone," Fred said loudly to the crowd that was now surrounding the couch.

"Yeah, give him some space! He doesn't have to talk if he doesn't want to," I announced. The crowd dispersed and spread through the common room as usual.

"How did you get your name in Harry?" Fred whispered immediately.

"Yeah, even we couldn't do it. And let's face it," I smiled. "We're brilliant." Fred grinned and high-fived me.

"I didn't put my name it," Harry stated bluntly.

"C'mon Harry, seriously. You can tell us," I said.

"I mean it, I didn't put my name in the goblet," Harry repeated.

"Really?" Fred asked, narrowing his eyes.

"Really! I have no idea how my name got in!" Harry stated firmly.

"Alright, we believe you," Fred sighed. "Don't be too sure about Ron though. He looks pretty sour over there," Fred added, pointing to Ron, who was standing by the opposite wall, sending Harry death glares. I turned around to look at him, and motioned for him to chill out. Ron then directed his glare at me, and I flinched a little. He was pretty scary looking at that moment. Harry also turned to look, and thankfully, Ron's glare was redirected once more. Harry sighed wearily.

"I think I'll just go to bed then," He said sadly.

"It's only six-thirty," I commented.

"I know," Harry said, and headed for the portrait hole.

"Where are you going?" we asked.

"I never said _my _bed," Harry winked, and slipped out.

*O*O*O*O*O*O*

"So did you get a lot of grief from Draco about the goblet fiasco?" I asked Harry when he returned to the common room very late that night..

"Yes," he replied and rolled his eyes. "It took _ages_ to convince him that it wasn't my doing."

"How did you convince him?" Fred asked, laying across the couch with his head in my lap.

"Oh, I have my ways. Very seductive ways…" Harry tried not to laugh, but when Fred and I started cracking up, he couldn't help it.

"Perhaps you should teach me your seductive ways," Fred suggested, waggling his eyebrows playfully.

"And why exactly do you need to learn them from _him_?" I asked, looking down at him with a mock suspicious look. Fred pretended to have been caught in an act.

"Uh, Er… I- nothing," he looked around innocently before putting a hand to his ear (like a muggle telephone) and whispered quite loudly, "We'll talk later."

"Right, well I'll just be going up to the dorms then," Harry laughed.

"Night mate," Fred and I said together and headed up to our dorm. Fred gave me a light kiss before retiring to his bed.

*O*O*O*O*O*

Everyone was restless on Friday. It was so close to the weekend, everyone just wanted to whiz through the day quickly and easily. Even teachers were anxious; they assigned relatively easy busy work and skipped their lectures.

When lessons finally ended, people rushed out of the classrooms to go elsewhere and do what they pleased.

Fred and I trekked up to the common room, both of us feeling mentally exhausted. The common room wasn't as full as usual, which gave it a more relaxed atmosphere. We fell onto the couch in front of the fire. Fred looked ready to fall asleep, but was pulled out of his drowsiness when the couch became occupied by another person.

"Hey!" Oliver greeted cheerfully, and jump-sat next to us. The sudden movement scared Fred half to death, and he jerked to alertness and flailed his arms. When he saw it was Oliver, he said, "Oh, it's just you," and went back to being half asleep. "Yup, it's me," Oliver shrugged. "Listen, I just wanted to apologize for how I acted before when… er, you know. It's no big deal."

"Hey, don't worry about it mate," I grinned, accepting the apology. Fred glared at Oliver for a moment, still a little peeved about being practically raped by surprise.

"Eh, its alright I guess," he yawned. Oliver grinned and jumped up, practically bouncing to his friends.

"I'm bored," Fred said, yawning again.

"Me too," I agreed.

"Come here," Fred motioned to me, giving a crooked smile. Even though his eyes were still half shut and his hair was a mess from his brief lay-down on the couch, he still looked adorable.

"Why do you have to be so cute?" I asked, smiling back at him, and laid against him with my head tilted up.

I could ask you the same thing," Fred laughed. He held my hands while he kissed me. It wasn't open moth, but it was amazing all the same, special. It was a little weird at the same time though. I mean, I know things were out in the open with our housemates, but it was strange just being out in the open like that. No one protested, so I guess we were ok.

The way I felt at that moment made me think that from someone else's point of view, that would look like the perfect kiss. Well I just wanna say, it was.

"Hey guuuuuys!" Harry said in his gayest possible voice before sitting down with us. Out of habit, Fred and I jumped about ten feet apart.

"Well helloooo there," I responded in an equally gay voice. "What's up?"

"Oh nothing" Harry held up a wet broken wand.

"Bloody hell!" Fred exclaimed.

"What happened?" I asked.

"Well… Me and Draco wanted to try something new…" Harry sated vaguely.

"Merlin…" Fred laughed.

"Yeah, so let's just leave it at the fact that it broke," Harry muttered.

"Yeah, leave it at that, because George looks like he might puke," Fred mentioned. This was true. I think I may have dry-heaved once or twice.

"Is that _your_ wand?" I asked.

"Nah," Harry answered.

"Draco's?"

"No way!"

"Then whose is-" I began to asked when Seamus entered the room.

"Has anyone seen my wand?" He asked loudly. I looked at Harry, and Freds mouth hung open.

"I have it," Harry announced. Seamus came over to us looking relived until he actually saw it. He took it between two fingers.

"What happened?" he asked.

"I kind of sat on it," Harry lied. I tried not to laugh.

"Why is it sticky?" Seamus asked, looking slightly grossed out. Fred was shaking with suppressed laughter.

"Playwitch magazine…" Harry said dreamily. "Those girls get me every time." Fred and I burst into hysterical laughter, gripping each others arms to keep from falling off the couch. Seamus walked away gagging a little, and Harry joined our laughter.

**A/N- The brilliant idea for Harry's excuse about the wand was thought up by my lovely cousin Amber! Hehe, she deserves a shout out for that amazing idea. :P**

**I know my updates have been pretty erratic, which I apologize for, and they are going to probably get even more erattic because I have officially run out of pre-written chapters. Now, I'm actually going to have to sit down and use this brain of mine for the first time in a while. Haha, so if anyone has anything they want to see happen in the story, please let me know because I need ideas. Message me or leave it in a review. **** Thankies!**


	12. Talk of Danger

**A/N- Have you ever wanted to hate someone or something and realized you simply couldn't? That's what it's like with me and freaking Lady Gaga. =/ anyway, here is chapter 12! Oh, and I apologize in advance for the mass amounts of dialogue. I try my best to have lots of descriptive writing, but this one has like, mass amounts of just people talking. Haha.**

Chapter 12: Talk of Danger

"The first task is coming up in a month," Harry said and sighed.

"You have a whole month, why so upset?" I asked. Hermione sauntered over to the corner where Fred, Harry, and I were sitting.

"Because he knows he's going to procrastinate," she said, looking knowingly at Harry. Harry gave a heavier sigh and shook his head. "What do you mean.. You _always_ procrastinate," Hermione said.

"Hermione, there's nothing to procrastinate for," Harry told her. "They haven't given us any clues as to what we'll be doing. All of the champions are completely in the dark."

"Well then don't worry, mate," Fred clapped Harry on the back.

"Yeah, if you don't know what it is, there's nothing to loom over," I said.

"Uh, boys, people have _died_ in this tournament." Hermione pointed out. "I think that's reason enough to worry."

"Thanks Hermione…" Harry said, wide-eyed. "Just when I was starting to relax."

"Sorry, Harry, but this is dangerous. Even not knowing what it is, you should still be braced for whatever it _does_ end up being, otherwise you'll be lulled into a false sense of security," Hermione told him. "Whoever put your name in that goblet wants you dead," she added.

"Well that could be anybody!" Harry sighed. I chuckled, and received a glare from Hermione.

"This is serious you two!" Hermione said, pointing at us.

"Sorry, but it's true!" I said in a lame defense.

"Yeah, it could have been Lee or Seamus for all we know," Fred added.

"Which is exactly why it is not funny," Hermione said stonily. I rolled my eyes.

"I'm not ready for this," Harry groaned.

"You don't have a choice, mate," Fred sad sympathetically. "Whoever is chosen has to compete."

"I'm doomed," Harry said. He stood and walked over to the portrait hole.

"I'm worried about him…" Hermione sighed.

"You're not the only one…" I said.

*O*O*O*O*O*

"What are you so upset looking for?" I asked Draco in the deserted Common room after Fred and Harry went up to bed.

"I'm worried," he replied.

"About what?" I asked, knowing full well that the answer was-

"Harry," He sighed. "The Triwizard Tournament is so dangerous. What if he gets hurt? Or worse…"Draco sniffled.

"Relax," I said, sitting down on the couch beside him. "Harry's strong, tough, and brave. He'll do great." I assured him.

"Yeah, but what if he isn't strong, tough, or brave enough to do- to do this?" Draco choked back a sob on the last two words.

"Hey, come on, don't worry. He can do it." I put an arm around Draco, not feeling strange or awkward, but like it was the right thing to do. He let loose a stream of broken sobs into my shoulder as I stroked his blond hair. When he finally managed to calm down, he slowly pulled out of my grip.

"Sorry," he muttered his apology. "I'm just so-"

"It's alright," I said, cutting him off. "I'm worried too."

"I guess I should go…" Draco sighed. We stood up at the same time, and went our opposite ways.

*O*O*O*O*O*

"Seriously Ron, do you ever stop stuffing your face?" Fred asked.

"I have to sleep don't I?" Ron said through a mouthful of eggs. I laughed. Hermione looked disgusted and scooted closer to Ginny, who flicked a piece of bacon at him. He gladly ate it, and I rolled my eyes.

"You're lucky that Weasleys have high metabolisms, otherwise you'd be in trouble," I commented. Ron shrugged, and helped himself to more toast.

"I swear Ron, I don't know how you hold it all down," Harry said, trying to strike up a conversation. Ron gave him a dirty look and returned to his food. "Seriously Ron, when are you gonna get over this?" Harry tolled his eyes.

"When you tell me how the bloody hell you got your name in that goblet!" Ron exclaimed.

"How many times do I have to tell you before you get it through that thick skull of yours?" Harry asked angrily. "I didn't put my name in!"

"Then do you care to tell me how it got there?" Ron snapped, throwing his fork down.

"Trust me, if I knew, I would tell you." Harry retorted.

"Well that's the thing Harry, I don't think I _can_ trust you," Ron snarled. He stood from the table and stormed away. Harry emitted a heavy sigh.

"Wow," I said quietly. "Ron walked away from food. I'm shocked." I shook my head slowly. I glanced at Harry, hoping to have brightened him up a bit, but he wasn't laughing along with Fred and Ginny. "Come on, don't let him get you down. He's just stubborn, he'll come around," I reassured him. Harry nodded but didn't look entirely convinced.

"He'll get over himself at some point," said Fred, and he clapped Harry on the back.

*O*O*O*O*O*

The only real downside to being at Hogwarts is that there's really nothing to do on weekends and Holidays. You're not allowed to leave the grounds except for Hogsmede trips, but those don't come around every weekend. Exploding snap, gobstones, and wizard chess can only get you so many hours of entertainment at a time, and when you're talking with friends, it's inevitable that you'll eventually run out of things to talk about. When it comes down to it, all that's really left to do is homework, and even then pretty much everyone (save for a select few, like Hermione) put it off until absolutely necessary. That was definitely Fred and I. We were just as bad as Ron and Harry, if not worse. Hermione kept telling us that we had to study and that it was extra important because "this was our O.W.L year". We smugly reminded her that our O.W.L year was last year, which quickly shut her up. Despite this, Fred and I did end up doing homework on Saturday afternoon.

Draco popped his head in the common room, and came in when he saw us at the table by the far wall. The handful of Gryffindors that we in there gave Draco dirty looks, but they didn't say anything because they knew he was with us. He sat down across from us.

"You're just now doing your homework?" he scoffed. "I got mine dome last night."

"Sorry Draco, we can't all be overachievers like you." Fred rolled his eyes, but smiled.

"Mhm, we'll see. I'll covert you at some point," Draco challenged.

"Good luck," Fred snorted, and Draco rolled his eyes.

"Seriously mate, luck will be needed if you think you can get my dear brother and I to voluntarily exert energy on something as trivial as school work," I said, completely aware that by sitting there doing my potions essay, I was completely contradicting myself. I hoped Draco wouldn't notice, but I was disappointed.

"By sitting there and doing your potions essay, you're completely contradicting yourself," Draco pointed out.

"Yes, but that's because we have nothing better to be doing."

"Well you willingly exert energy when you work on joke products," Draco said.

"Yeah, but that's worth doing." Wait… Why was I doing all the talking here? "Why am I doing all the talking here?" I wondered aloud, looking over at Fred. He was looking at the ceiling, squinty-eyes. Then he looked at me as though he had suddenly remembered something.

"George, the spell-check quills! I completely forgot! We haven't touched them since we showed them to Lee!" he exclaimed. A few of our fellow Gryffindors looked over at the sound of Fred's raised voice.

"Oh yeah!" I grinned, but my grin fell. "Wait, the charm only lasts a few weeks," I reminded him. "We'll have to re-charm all of them." I lowered my voice that way the other people would hear about the charm. If they all knew it, we wouldn't have any business.

"Ug, it took forever to do it last time!" Fred complained.

"I can help," Draco offered.

"Thanks, but even with your help it'll still take a long time."

"I know," Draco said. "But I know a spell that can do them all at once," he smiled. Fred and I looked at each other, smiling.

Ten minutes later, Fred and I were back in the common room, ready to do business with our housemates.

**A/N- And there it is! I hope it was review worthy! By which I mean, please review! :D**


	13. Of Selling and Inventing

**A/N- Sorry It's been a while posting this chapter. Since I ran out of pre-written chapters from 2 years ago, I actually had to use my creative juices. XD Anyway, enjoy the chapter! Oh, and sorry for the lame Chapter name. :/**

**Oh wait, first I wanna say: I don't think that my writing is reflecting my true potential, and I would love to have a Beta Reader. So if anyone would like to assume the responsibility of helping with my bad writing, message me pleeeeeease! :D **

Chapter 13: Of Selling And Inventing

We opened the box of quills in front of us and looked around at the people around us. A few sixth years (Oliver, Jilani, and Angelina Johnson), a few fifth years, Harry, Ron, Hermione, and a handful of first years. I smiled; the first years would be all over the quills, as well as Ron and maybe Harry. Hermione and Angelina would most likely pass because they want to do things "properly" and not "cheat". I assumed Oliver and Jilani would want one, so that only left out two people if my calculations served me right.

"Oi, Gryffindors!" Fred called out. Everyone stopped what they were doing to look at us. I have to admit, I liked that we seemed to be important enough to them to get their full attention at one command. "Gather round you lot! We have something you'll all be interested in,"

"Well, most of you anyway," I smirked, looking in Hermione's direction, but she just rolled her eyes and went back to her studies, not bothering to come over and see what we had, just as I had predicted. Everyone kind of looked at each other before coming hesitantly forward. They gathered in front of us in a semi-circle to see what we had to offer.

Fred immediately flew into an on-the-spot sales pitch. "Not a good speller? Too lazy to correct any spelling mistakes on your homework and essays? Tired of getting marked down for frequent spelling errors?"

"Well worry no longer, my fellow housemates! WE have exactly what you need!" I told the people around us, looking at them.

"Spell-Check Quills!" We said together, grinning identically. The students looked into the boxes excitedly, as if expecting to see extravagant quills with bright flashing colors emitting little fireworks. They looked on the edge of disappointment when they saw regular old quills.

"You, Blondie." I pointed to a little blonde first year girl. "Come over here, try it out." I motioned her over. I summoned one of the small end tables from next to one of the arm chairs and placed it in front of her. I put a piece of parchment on it and handed the girl a quill. "Spell…" I thought for a moment, trying to think of a hard word. I scanned the room for ideas, and my eyes landed on Ron. "…Arachnophobia." I smirked. Ron rolled his eyes. The blonde girl bit her lip, obviously having no idea how to spell it.

"Don't worry, the quill will do all the spelling for you," Fred said, ruffling her hair. The girl put the quill to the parchment and started writing. Her eyes widened and she grinned as she wrote it out, spelling it perfectly.

"That's so cool!" she exclaimed. "It's- It's like it- like it's…" she struggled to explain the feeling of the quill's ability, but we just grinned and told her there was no need to explain.

"For being our volunteer, you can have that one for free," I smiled at her. She grinned, thanked us and rushed out of the common room, probably to show all of her friends.

"So," Fred looked at the other eager students. "Who wants to buy?" Shouts of "Me, me!" and "I do!" sounded through the small crowd. "Ten Sickles each**!" Fred shouted over the noise of our now excited customers. Everyone formed a line and we accepted the money as we handed them quills. Many of them bought more than one to share with friends. I glanced to the back where Hermione and Angelina now sat together, both studying.

"You ladies sure you don't want one?" I asked teasingly.

"I can spell just fine on my own, thanks," Angelina said, fighting a smile. Hermione didn't even answer; she just buried her nose further into her book. I rolled my eyes, and continued selling.

O*O*O*O*O*O*

"Well I think that went well," Fred smiled, and looking over at me as we descended the staircases to the Great Hall for dinner.

"I agree," I nodded my head as we walked side by side to the Gryffindor table. I noticed Ron was sitting separate from Harry and Hermione, which meant he was still mad about the whole Goblet of Fire thing. Instead he sat across from Dean and Seamus, talking animatedly, obviously trying to get Harry's attention so he could try even harder to make him think he was having more fun than he ever did with the raven-haired boy. I had to shake my head and roll my eyes. Ron could be so immature sometimes. Not that I had the right to talk about maturity, but you get my point. Fred and I sat across from Lee, and immediately began filling our plates to satiate our infamous Weasley appetite.

"The Spell-Check Quills were a massive success," I said to Lee, reaching for the rolls.

"Yeah, It's a shame you weren't there to witness it," Fred nodded. "They were swarming us. Almost lost a hand, I did."

"Uh huh…" Lee raised an eyebrow at the last part.

"Ok, so maybe that's a bit of an exaggeration, but it did go well," Fred admitted, grinning.

"That's good, but I personally think that the quills are far below your inventing abilities," Lee commented, looking from me to Fred. "You can do better than that."

"Why are you dissing the quills?" Fred asked jokingly.

"Yeah, _you_ helped come up with the idea," I agreed.

"I know that, and it seemed like a brilliant idea at the time," Lee shrugged. I raised an eyebrow. "I'm not saying it was a _bad_ idea, I'm just saying that we can do better."

"Mmmmhmmm, and what exactly do you have in mind?" I asked.

"Well, since you asked…" Lee grinned. "I was thinking something like trick wands," Lee offered.

"Hmmm… "

"We could replace people's wands with fake ones, so when they try to cast a spell, it won't do anything," Lee explained. Fred stared blankly at him, not getting what was funny about it.

"I get what you're saying Lee, and your mind is in the right place-" he began.

"-But what if instead of doing nothing, they turned into something," I finished.

"What would they turn into?" Lee asked.

"Anything! They could turn into anything from a rubber chicken-"

"-To a king-size mattress!" Lee mulled this over, and then said,

"What if some jabbed and poked at the user? Or beat them around the head?"

"Brilliant!" Fred exclaimed, and high-fived Lee. "I do believe we have a new idea for a product."

*O*O*O*O*O*

That night, Fred and I sat in the common room in front of the fire comfortably relaxing. Our homework was done (mostly), we had nothing to do, and the flickering fire in front of us was making us more and more drowsy by the minute. I leaned against Fred, closing my eyes, and felt him stroking my hair. I exhaled contently, and entwined my hand with his free one.

"We never have time for 'us' anymore," I sighed.

"We'll make time, don't you worry," I could hear the smile in his voice. I smiled to myself. Fred leaned down to press a gentle kiss to my lips. He made to pull away, but I deepened the kiss before he could. He smiled against my lips, and moved his hand from my hair to around my waist, pulling me closer. I was lost in him; nothing else mattered at that moment. Not school, not friends, not the giggles, nothing except my twin. Wait, giggles? I opened my eyes, and pulled away briefly. I managed to get a glimpse of a group of first years standing nearby before Fred captured my lips again. I pulled back again and this time Fred opened his eyes and looked at me curiously. I looked at the first years again and so did Fred. He blushed a deep red and moved off of me; I hadn't realized he moved to straddling my lap. I shooed the giggly group away and gladly returned to cuddling.

**A/N- I know this chapter wasn't one of my best, but I didn't have anything previously written down and I just wrote it on the spot. I attempted to make up for it by adding some Fred/George time at the end since they haven't had "them" time in a few chapters. **

**** Im not really sure what the wizard to Muggle money ratio is, so if anyone knows how much Knuts, Sickles and Galleons are in muggle money, let me know.**

**Review please! It boosts my writing confidence. :P**


	14. Not a Date

**A/N- Sorry for the wait! I personally think this will be my best chapter so far. **** Thanks a million to **** for being my beta!!!! And now… Chapter 14!**

Chapter 14: Not a Date

Fred and I stayed cuddled like that until we fell asleep. I must have only been asleep for an hour or two, but it seemed like I'd had three days worth of dreams. From flying on Hippogriffs to dueling wizards on mountain tops, it seemed like I had dreamed it all.

When I woke up, Fred was still asleep. I turned my head to look at him. His hair was ruffled and his shirt and sweater had ridden up a little because he had sunk down a bit on the sofa. He looked so peaceful, and even more gorgeous than when he was awake. The urge to kiss him suddenly swept over me. I shifted my position slightly so I wouldn't wake him, and brushed my lips against his. When I pulled back his eyes were open, which scared me so bad I actually fell off the couch. Fred burst into laughter as a blush creeped onto my cheeks. He reached out a hand and pulled me back up onto the couch.

"Sorry, brother, didn't mean to scare you," he smirked.

"Shut up," I mumbled, turning my head away so he wouldn't see my red face.

"Don't look away, you're cute when you blush," Fred poked me in the side, making me jump slightly and look at him.

Without hesitation, he leaned in and kissed me. I gladly melted into him, accepting every ounce of passion he offered, leaving myself completely at the mercy of bliss. I scooted myself back, never separating our lips, so that I could lean back on the arm of the couch. He lightly brushed his hands down my waist and came to a stop at my hips while I traced shapeless patterns on his back.

It felt so good to be there with him, just us; it seemed like we were never alone anymore. A rush of appreciation flooded over me and thoughts of, "I'm so glad I have him" and "I love him" spontaneously entered my mind. I didn't realize I was mumbling until there was a noticeable absence of Fred's mouth and he was grinning down at me.

"Hey guys?" A whisper came from someone on the staircase. Reflexively, I quickly sat up- well, _tried_ to anyway. Fred hadn't straightened up yet. In fact, he hadn't moved at all except for turning his head toward the stairs, so when I tried sitting up, my face bashed into the side of his head. I yelled out in pain, and my hands flew to my nose. Whoever was at the staircase was laughing, along with Fred. I gently felt my nose to make sure it wasn't broken. When I looked at my hand, there was the faint shimmer of blood. I sighed and grabbed a tissue from the table next to the couch. I lightly pinched my nose and tilted my head back.

"You've got a hard head," I commented to Fred. My voice came out nasally, which only made Fred and the mystery person laugh harder. "Who's over there anyway?" I asked.

"Lee," Fred answered, his laughter fading to sharp exhales.

"Come to see the show, have you?" I asked cockily, directing the question to Lee.

"As irresistible as you two going at it is, I actually came down here to ask if you were coming up," Lee said, trying to hide how awkward the question was for him by responding with humor.

"Heh, we'll be up in a minute," Fred answered. Lee shrugged and retreated back up the stairs.

"Sorry about your nose," Fred apologized, wincing at the bloody tissue. "Is it broken?"

"No, just bloodied," I replied, and took the tissue away from my nose. I felt around to make sure the blood flow had stopped. When I was sure I had recovered, I punched Fred in the shoulder. "Sit up next time," I said, a smile tugging at my lips. Fred rolled his eyes and started for the stairs, pretending to be mad. I followed right after him. Halfway up, he abruptly stopped, causing me to run into him.

"Get better reflexes." Fred turned to look at me, and smirked.

O*O*O*O*O*

"So, I like the idea of trick wands, but how exactly do we make them?" I asked Fred as we booked it down the stairs two at a time in attempt to get to class at a halfway decent time. Yeah we were often late, and yeah, it was often on purpose, but twenty minutes was stretching it a little too much. We'd woken up and rushed to get dressed; I was pulling my sweater over my head as we spoke.

"No idea," Fred replied bluntly, attempting to tie his tie while he walked. He gave up and instead took my robes out of my arms so that I could more easily put my sweater on. I nodded my thanks when I took them back and put them on. Fred stopped a few feet away from the charms classroom so he could hurriedly tie his tie. "Does it look alright?" he asked.

"Perfect," I responded. "Just like the rest of you." Fred smirked and poked my nose.

"Back atcha," He grinned and we hurriedly entered class.

"Nice of you to join us boys," Flitwick said calmly, sounding slightly annoyed, but not surprised. "We were just practicing Super-Sensory charms. The two of you will stand one in front of the other. The person in front will face the wall. The person in back will do something like wave, and the person in front will cast the spell; the caster should be able to see what the person in back is doing," Flitwick explained. We trekked over to an unoccupied expanse of wall.

"I'll go in front first," I volunteered. Fred nodded and I stepped in front of him to face the wall. After asking the pair next to us what the spell was, I muttered the incantation. I saw Fred on the wall in front of me, holding his hands up in the shape of a heart. I laughed, not so much at the heart, but at the stupid look on his face.

"I wuv you!" He grinned.

"Uh huh," I smirked. "Your turn, brother." Fred switched places with me. I wasn't sure what I should to, so I went with a rude gesture, the perfect counter to his heart.

"Har, har," Fred said. "So very mature of you."

"When have I ever been mature about anything?" I asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Touché…" Fred countered, turning to look at me. Flitwick came waddling by at that precise moment.

"Have you both successfully preformed the spell?" he asked.

"Yes," we responded simultaneously.

"Excellent!" The man exclaimed, and moved on to check the next pair's progress. Lee bounded over to us with Jilani in tow **(You all remember Jilani, right?)**. Apparently they too had managed to complete the task. We made sure to give Lee a hard time about having done a charm right for once.

"I didn't expect that spell to be so easy," Jilani said to me, as Fred and Lee struck up a conversation about a Quidditch team whose name I didn't catch.

"I didn't really notice," I shrugged. "Charms kind of comes naturally to me," I admitted. I tried not to make it sound like I was bragging.

Jilani smiled. "I wish I was good at it," He said. "This is the first time I've been able to easily learn a spell. Potions is more my subject."

"Oh man, I'm _terrible_ at potions!" I laughed. "I really wish I were better at it because it would really help with mine and Fred's joke products."

"If you want, I can help you in potions," Jilani offered. "And you could help me in Charms." I grinned, thinking that to be a fair trade. I nodded in agreement. "So tomorrow night in the library?" he asked.

"Yeah, sounds good," I smiled.

O*O*O*O*O*

After lessons, Fred and I trekked back to the common room, worn out. We made a quick trip to the dorm to drop off our school stuff and then went back down to the common room.

"So I heard you and Jilani talking," Fred poked me as we pulled two chairs over to the corner. "Looks like you have a study date tomorrow night," he teased.

I rolled my eyes. "It's so not a date."

"Sure sounds like it," Fred said in a sing-song voice, and poked me again. I swatted his hand away, holding back a laugh.

"All it is, is him helping me in potions and me helping him in charms," I explained.

"I think he likes you," Fred grinned, but it seemed forced.

"What makes you think that?"

"Well he could get twice as much help if both of us helped him but he only asked you," Fred raised his eyebrows. I paused, considering this.

"I guess you're right," I sighed. Fred didn't say anything. I could very well have been wrong, but I was almost positive that he was jealous.

**A/N- There was so much poking in this chapter! :D**

**You guys remember Jilani right? I mentioned him in one of the earlier chapters. Well he's about to become a more main character. Prepare for lots of Jilani-ness! :D**

**Thank you so much to my beta, !**

**Remember to review please! :D**


	15. George Weasley Does Something Productive

**A/N- Oh. My. GOD. I am SOOOO sorry this chapter has taken so long to post! I got grounded for bad grades and I'm typing this up at the library. I will accept any thrown cyber tomatoes because I know I deserve them. I really hope you guys haven't given up on me! **

**This chapter is currently un-edited because I was in such a rush to get it to you, but will be beta'd later.**

Chapter 15: George Weasley Does Something Productive

I welcomed the weekend with an extra four hours of sleep, as most of the school did. I could have gone longer, but Fred decided it would be lovely to wake me up with a pillow beating to the head. When I sat up, I automatically knew he wanted to brainstorm for the trick wands, because he was fully dressed, up as I felt.

"Come on, get up!" Fred motioned for us, Lee and I, to get up. I groaned and laid back down, covering my head with my pillow to avoid any more cranial blows; he immediately began hitting me around the middle instead. When I didn't respond, I felt him climb on top of me.

"Ugh, get off! You're heavy!" My voice was muffled from under my pillow. He didn't answer, but began squirming around instead. "Alright, alright, I'm getting up!" I admitted defeat. Fred rolled off me and I sat up.

"So why are you getting us up at this ungodly hour?" Lee asked through a yawn.

"It's ten…" Fred raised an eyebrow.

"Like I said, _ungodly_," Lee groaned.

"Well Lee," Fred placed his hands on his own hips and launched into explanation. "_You_ helped come up with the idea for the trick wands; therefore _you_ have to get up with me at this 'ungodly' hour. George here will be getting up because he's not only my twin, but my partner in crime, so he of course is a part of this."

Partner in crime? He made me sound like I was his sidekick or something.

Fred decided it would be best to do our brainstorming outside where it was quiet. He was dressed in blue jeans, and a black tee-shirt. I had to admit it looked really good on him. I got up and dressed in the same thing, feeling like I didn't look half as good as he did even though now you could hardly tell us apart.

The weather outside was perfect; warm with a light, cool breeze. We made our way to the grassy hill near Hagrid's hut where it was nice and peaceful. Fred, Lee and I sat in a triangle; Fred and I next to each other and Lee in front of us. The breeze blew lightly through Fred's hair, pushing it completely out of his hazel eyes. I looked away to resist jumping him right then and there.

"So… How do we do this?" Fred asked.

We danced around that sentence for hours. None of us had any idea how to make the trick wands happen. We discussed pricing, what they would do and turn into, and how overall neat it would be, but we couldn't figure out how to actually make them happen. By the time lunch rolled around we had wasted two and a half hours.

The three of us sat at the Gryffindor table across from Harry, Ron, and Hermione.

"Hello all," I greeted. Harry and Hermione said hello; Ron just waved because his mouth was too full of food to speak.

"So where have you three been off to?" Hermione asked.

"Thinking up joke products, as always," Lee grinned, taking a bite of a tuna sandwich. Hermione rolled her eyes and sighed, apparently regretting having asked. I happened to gaze to the far left end of the table and saw Jilani wave at me. I waved back, pretending I didn't see Fred scowling. I went back to my food, smiling at Fred in attempt to rid him of his jealousy, but he just sighed.

"Dra-Malfoy is coming over here. Why is Malfoy coming over here?" Harry mentioned, his eyes widening to the size of saucers. I looked over my shoulder, and sure enough, Draco was strutting toward our table, but more specifically, toward Harry. Harry ducked his head down and pretended he didn't notice the blond. HE couldn't ignore him for long though, because when Draco reached his destination, he sat right in Harry's lap. The loud hatter in the Great Hall died down to a whisper. Then Draco planted his lips firmly against Harry's and began kissing him. The Great Hall was silent. You could have knocked me out with a feather. What the hell was he doing? Surely he was aware of everyone watching him. Or maybe Draco had simply decided it was time to out himself to the world, and take Harry with him. As the Ice-Prince and the Boy-Who-Lived sat there snogging the daylights out of each other, no one said a word. Then, suddenly, the entire Great hall erupted into applause. Even the Slytherins and the staff clapped and whooped. Fred and I clapped and wolf-whistled as the two parted, Draco smirking and Harry blushing. The blond slid off Harry's lap and returned to the Slytherin table as if nothing had happened. Once the cheers died down, Harry stood.

"I have to use the loo," he muttered.

"I know what you'll be doing," I laughed, causing Ron to crack up, and Hermione to choke. Ron clapped her on the back a few times before her breathing returned to normal. I saw Jilani look over to Harry's now empty seat, looking tempted to take his place, but restrained himself. Fred was probably right about him liking me, and I wasn't quite sure how I felt about that just yet.

I Loved Fred, but it seemed like being with just him was limiting me. He was my twin, which was probably why I liked him so much, because he's just like me, but now that there was someone else that I knew liked me, it seemed so much… better, for lack of a better word. The thought of being with someone else was exciting and fascinating, but at the same time I didn't want to hurt Fred. The worst possible thing for me to do would be to leave my twin, who I see all the time, heartbroken. Jilani though… he was a good guy; easy on the eyes, a nice smile, great personality… I sighed. Just thinking about him made me feel bad.

"Earth to George!" Fred waved his hand in front of my face. "Who are you ogling that isn't me?" He asked. To the others, he sounded like he was joking. To me, he sounded jealous.

"I'm not ogling anyone," I denied, looking away from Jilani. Fred didn't look at all convinced, "Don't give me that look!" I tried to look innocent, and of course failed.

"Jilani looks excited about that study date," Fred grumbled.

"Studying?" Hermione asked, surprised.

"A date?" Ron looked proud.

"It's not a date!" I said, exasperated. "It's just studying!"

"Good for you George!" Hermione smiled. "Nice to know you'll be doing something productive." I rolled my eyes.

"So Hermione, you wouldn't happen to know anything about wands would you?" Fred asked nonchalantly.

"Of course I do," Hermione replied. "But I wont be telling you anything, because I don't want to be the reason for the birth of your next product," she said. I sighed, not asking how she knew our intentions. She knew everything. "Well then I think I'll just be going back to the common room," Fred said. He stood, bowed to Hermione, and left. I stood and followed him. When I caught up to him outside the Great Hall, he pulled me into a rough kiss. It caught me by surprise and I pulled away. He pulled me right back in and I let him go a little longer before withdrawing again.

"So you _are_ jealous?" I asked tentatively. He shrugged.

"You don't like him do you?" he asked quietly.

"Of course not!" I lied. The truth was… I did like Jilani, but I didn't want Fred to get anymore upset. He accepted this answer, but didn't look like he believed me. "Seriously, brother, you need to relax," I playfully punched him in the shoulder.

"Sorry, but I can't have you running off with someone else now can I?" he asked with a faint smile.

I laughed. "Of course not."

O*O*O*O*O*

I left dinner early to get to the library early. I wanted to look up some stuff about wands before Jilani got there. All the books in the library were alphabetized, so I headed to the back. Iran my fingers over each book title before selecting: Wands: The Things You Probably Didn't Know. I took a seat at a nearby table and opened the thick and dusty book. I flipped through the pages until I found something useful.

_**Because nearly anything has the ability to be transfigured, it is only natural that items can be transfigured into wands. The only problem with this process is that when you try to use this new "wand", it will immediately turn back into the item that it originally was unless a spell lock is put upon it, in which case, it does nothing. Be warned, to get the "wand" to perform any sort of magic, it will require the DNA of the user. Even then though, it will be extremely week. This process is usually only used in extremely desperate situations. To transfigure an item into a wand, use the spell, "**__**Fereverto Virga".**__** To perform a spell lock, use the spell, "**__**Alica Obfermo**__**". To transfer DNA into the "wand" use the spell, "**__**Imperator en Virga**__**".**_

I read through the paragraph grinning. It was perfect for our trick wands. I copied all of the information down on a piece of parchment, and then continued flipping through the book until I came across another interesting bit of information.

_**It is possible to duplicate/copy a wand, but once done, the new wand will not perform magic.**_

I wrote this down as well. It was absolutely brilliant! It matched our idea exactly, and told us exactly what we wanted to know. I put the book back where it belonged and folded up the parchment just as Jilani entered the library.

"Hello there," he greeted casually and dropped into a seat at the table I had been reading at. I sat beside him as he dug out his potions book from his school bag. I withdrew my Charms book from my own back and placed it in front of me.

"So," I said. "Ready to study?"

**A/N- Once again, I am SO sorry this took so long to get out. Please don't hate me! **

**I really hope you liked this chapter, even though it wasn't my best… I'm hoping to get the next chapter out within the next week, but delays are very possible. **

**Review please! See that little button down there? Yeah, click it please! XD**

**Anyway, until next time, See ya!**


	16. Caught In the Act

**A/N- Hey howdy hey everyone! Here is chapter 16 for your enjoyment. I personally think this is one of my better chapters… :D anyway, enjoy!**

**This chapter is rated somewhere between T and M. There is sex, but it's not graphic.**

Chapter 16: Caught in the Act

How had it ended up this way? A better question would be how had I _let _it end up this way? I never wanted it to go that far, yet there I was, alone and guilty. I told myself over and over I wouldn't let anything happen. When the snogging started, I told myself over and over that it wouldn't go any farther than that. When the touching started I told myself it wouldn't go any farther than _that_. When we wound up in bed, I tried to convince myself that it didn't mean anything, When Fred walked in, I knew I had royally fucked up.

***A few hours ago***

"Alright, let the studying begin," I smiled, opening my Charms book. Jilani did the same with his potions book.

"So who starts?" Jilani asked.

"I guess I will," I replied, moving the book so it was between us on the table. "Now, when you're casting spells, you've really gotta give it your all. You can't just flick your wand and throw the spell out there like you don't care; you've gotta mean it," I explained.

"I didn't think it mattered." Jilani knit his eyebrows.

"Your magic is only as strong as your mind."

"Really?" Jilani looked a bit put out.

"Well when I say it's only as strong as your mind, I don't mean smarts. I'm talking about concentration," I quickly clarified. "You know, focus. If you're lazy and uncaring, that's exactly what you get in your spell, but if you're firm and focused, you get better results."

"Helpful… So is it my turn now?"

"Sure is," I said, trying to ignore the fact that Jilani's hand was now resting on my knee.

"Well, when you're making a potion, precision is everything. Every measurement, slice, and time wait has to be exact. One extra ounce of an ingredient or incorrect stirring direction can turn a potion into a poison."

"Well that explains a lot," I laughed. "Fred and I aren't exact in anything unless it benefits us," I said. Wow, that sounded incredibly selfish… Well Jilani didn't seem to care, so neither did I.

Jilani laughed too. "Well you also have to be patient, and I'm assuming you're not a very patient person."

"Actually, we can be pretty patient. Vass amounts of patience are needed when we're testing joke products."

"Really? You don't strike me as a patient person. It's a bit surprising, no offense." he chuckled.

"Well, we are quite the surprising pair," I smiled. I was purposely saying "we" instead of "me" to remind Jilani, that I wasn't alone, and my other half was in fact my boyfriend. Jilani seemed to be ignoring my hints though, because his hand was moving slowly up my leg. My heart sped up and my breath caught in my throat.

"You didn't plan on doing any actual studying, did you?" I asked huskily.

"Nope," Jilani whispered back, his hand now resting dangerously close to my crotch. I was sure he could feel the unintentional heat radiating off of me. _Be faithful…_ I thought to myself as Jilani began closing in. _Don't do it…_ I begged myself. I kept telling myself to push him away, stand up and run screaming from the library, but I didn't move. There was something thrilling, albeit terrifying, about Jilani's lips being so close to mine, about him thumbing over my zipper, and knowing I would be cheating on Fred. His breath was hot on my skin, but I remained where I was. _It's not too late to escape _I thought, but made no attempt to. I'll admit, I welcomed the feel of Jilani's soft lips on mine, eyes closed, an electric shock powering through me. Adrenaline coursed through my blood, leaving me feeling terrified, but at the same time, more aroused than I should have been.

The kiss started innocent, just lip-to-lip contact, but the adrenaline rush left me feeling bold, so I took a step further and deepened the kiss. I felt bad about it, but I was too caught up in the kiss to form any coherent thought about stopping. _Besides, I won't let it go any farther than this _I told myself. I ran my tongue over every plane of Jilani's moth, excited to be exploring unknown territory. He tangled his hands in my hair, kissing back with full force.

I heard what sounded like rustling books behind me, and briefly pulled away and turned around. No one was there, so I resumed my snog session, despite the pang of guilt echoing through my chest.

Despite my earlier thought about not letting things progressing, snogging quickly turned into touching. In the dark corner of the library, my hands roamed under his shirt while he palmed me through my pants. I was too busy suppressing moans of pleasure to remember exactly why I wasn't supposed to be with Jilani.

"Wanna move this to the bed?" He asked, his voice thick with lust.

"Yeah," I replied, breathing heavily.

We smoothed our clothes, fixed out hair, and speed walked out of the library, school bags forgotten. We tried to look as casual as we could as we rushed up to the common room, taking the stairs two at a time. Needless to say, we failed. We entered the common room after giving the password (chariot) and thankfully the bustling common room allowed us to sneak up to the dorm. No one was in the dorm, so we shutting and locking the door figuring that anyone who tried to get in would be smart enough to come back later.

Clothes littered the floor and we collapsed onto the nearest bed, which of course happened to be Fred's. I stood, pulling Jilani up with me and wordlessly led him to my bed. I would regret this later, but I couldn't stop now. I was too far gone.

Jilani straddled my hips, grinding against me and kissing my neck. I had one hand at his back and the other tangled in his chestnut hair. In a burst of energy, I flipped our positions, wanting to be dominant.

As the slow and steady movement began, I forgot anything and everything that wasn't Jilani; the feel of him, the look of him, and every sound that escaped his lips.

In the heat of the moment, I didn't hear the muffled sound of someone casting an unlocking spell, failed to hear the door open, and had no idea someone was standing in the doorway.

"Don't like him, huh?" His voice was hard, and stone cold. I gasped, a mix between hearing a third voice, and the intensity of the orgasm..

I don't know what was worse, getting caught having sex, or getting caught by Fred.

O*O*O*O*O*O*

How had it ended up this way? Because I let it. How did I let it get this way? Because at the time, I didn't seem to care. I never wanted it to go that far, and yet… there I was three in the morning, sitting in an arm chair, knees drawn up, staring at the wall and wondering how this could ever be fixed.

Jilani tried to comfort me at first, but when I refused to speak or move, he gave up. I was glad he was gone. He was the reason all this had happened. Though I'm sure me topping didn't help.

I wante to talk to Fred so bad, to tell him what happened, but I didn't know how to explain it. I wanted to say I was sorry at the very least, even though I knew he wouldn't care. I figured I wouldn't be able to anyway since I hadn't seen hide nor hair of him since he caught me and Jilani.

Silent tears escaped my eyes. This was my fault; I accepted Jilani's advances when I should have pushed him away. I brought my own demise and there was nothing I could do about it.

Sleep was impossible, so I sat in that spot in that same uncomfortable position staring at the same spot on the wall until the portrait swung open about half an hour later. Fred stumbled in not-so-quietly, looking more than a little tipsy. In fact, he looked like he was absolutely plastered. I guess he used one of the secret passages to get to the Hog's Head. When he saw me, he stomped over to me. I stood up, face-to-face with my twin. The smell of firewhiskey was heavy on his breath.

"You lied to me," he slurred, pointing an accusing finger at me. That was all he said. He gave me one last glare before retreating quite loudly up the stairs. I collapsed back into the chair. He was right.

I lied to him.

**A/N- And there it is! Hope you liked it! I think it was pretty good. Although I think Chapter 18 will be better (I just finished writing it) but we shall cross that bridge when we get there. **

**Oh and I thought I would let you know, I just saw The Last Airbender. IF YOU DON'T WANT TO KNOW MY OPINION OF IT, STOP READING NOW! If you do, then I'll tell you this: I have NEVER been so disappointed in my life. It was Awful. **

**Anyway, Review please! Thankies!**


	17. The First Task

**A/N- Ok, so I just realized that these chapters are freakishly short. This chapter is already written so it'll be kind of short, but after this I'm going to try and make the chapters longer.**

**Oh, and I kind of realized that I haven't been mentioning the Baubaxtons or Durmstrangs like, at all because my tiny brain totally blanked. That's my bad, and I shall be mentioning them more from now on.**

**Anyway, here's chapter 17. Enjoy **

Chapter 17: The First Task

Two weeks passed since I was caught with Jilani, and over those two weeks, Fred hadn't uttered a single word to me, not even in my general direction. I felt horrible, and nothing could cheer me up; not even the fact that today was the first task of the Triwizard Tournament. Fred and I had planned to have a betting box for people to bet on who they thought would win, but given the situation, either Fred would do it himself or not at all because I knew I wouldn't do it.

Harry had been pacing around the common room all morning trying to calm his nerves. Draco came by and tried to calm him down with a pre-task snog, but he was still just as nervous as before. Everyone was patting him on the back and telling him he would do great, but he didn't seem convinced. I don't blame him though, seeing as this task could very well lead to his death. After lunch, he and the other champions were summoned to the champion's tent, leaving me to myself, much to my dismay. I took some time to study Fred. I seemed to be doing that a lot lately.

He seemed to be going about his life as usual; laughing, joking, brainstorming, making it seem as though everything was ok. The only thing missing was me, and he seemed perfectly ok with that. I hated knowing I could just be thrown away like that by my own twin. Thinking about it often led me into hoping that I had hurt him in some way by doing what I did, but then I would mentally kick myself for thinking something like that. Though, I couldn't help it sometimes. I mean, he looked pretty upset when he saw us. I hadn't been sleeping in the dorm anymore, partly because I didn't want to face Fred, and partly because I didn't want to talk to Jilani; instead I had been sleeping on the sofa in the common room, only going upstairs to dress after everyone had gone to breakfast. Fred was currently talking to Hermione. About what, I couldn't say, but he seemed content. I wanted nothing more than to saunter over, crack a joke, and go back to normal, but Fred seemed fine like this. Though I wonder if maybe that's just what he wanted me to think. If this was the case, he was doing a bloody fantastic job. I turned away from Fred, who had been determined not to look at me for the past two weeks. The first task would be staring soon so I figured I might as well get down to the Quidditch Pitch where it was being held.

As I exited the castle, I saw that the Quidditch pitch had been transformed into what looked like a rocky battleground. The grass and sand was gone, replaced with concrete, rocks and boulders. There was now stadium seating instead of the house towers. I took my place in the stands amidst a crowd of Gryffindor's and looked into the rocky terrain. In the center, a dragon rested. I had heard my brother Charlie would be coming to help with the first task, but I hadn't suspected dragons.

Within minutes the stands were filled with students and staff alike anxiously waiting for the obviously dangerous task to begin. I heard Fred yelling "Bets! Place bets here! Bets!". I thought of moving to avoid him, but stayed put since the task was starting.

Dumbledore's voice sounded through the stadium-like arena explaining the rules.

"Each of our four champions will enter one at a time into the arena where they will face their own dragon. Each dragon will be guarding not only eggs of their own, but a golden egg as well. Each champion must retrieve the golden egg without bringing harm to the other eggs. Each golden egg _must_ be retrieved, as it contains the clue for the next task." Dumbledore explained. "Our first champion will be Mr. Cedric Diggory!"

Cedric stepped into the arena, not looking at all surprised to see the dragon. He began moving down the rocks, sliding a bit to get closer to the dragon without disturbing it, since it appeared to be sleeping. As he inched closer, the dragon suddenly roared to life, heavily flapping its wings. Cedric broke into a run, dodging the flames that spurted out of the dragon's mouth. Everyone was yelling and cheering. He ran to the back of the dragon, hoping to snatch the egg up from there, but the dragon swished its tail, sensing Cedric's presence. The tail connected with Cedric's shoulder, leaving him with a deep gash. His hand flew up to his shoulder, and he jumped out of the way, narrowly missing another stream of fire. He then pulled out his wand and transfigured a boulder into a dog in order to distract the dragon. It worked; the dragon's attention turned to the dog, and it turned around, trampling two of its own eggs in the process. Cedric snatched up the golden egg, looking relived.

The next two champions, Krum and Fleur, went about their capturing of the egg similarly. Once each person retrieved the egg, I would see my brother Charlie and a few other dragon tamers woo the dragon into its cage, transport it somewhere else, and bring in the next one.

"And now, for our fourth and final champion, Harry Potter!" Dumbledore announced, and the crowd cheered. The final dragon, unmistakably a Hungarian Horntail, was curled around the eggs. It was pulling the same sleeping trick as the other dragons had, and the Harry immediately slid closer to it. It suddenly let loose a massive stream of fire, and Harry dove behind a boulder.

A majority of the fight consisted of Harry hiding behind rocks and the dragon breathed fire at him. I'm sure it would have continued that way if Hermione hadn't begun screaming at him from the stands.

"Your wand, Harry! Your wand!" she screamed. Harry must have heard her because he pulled out his wand and said a spell I couldn't hear. He stayed behind his current boulder; the dragon was spitting a continuous blast of fire at him. He looked up at the sky, and a smile graced his dirty face. He suddenly jumped out from behind the rock and onto his Firebolt, which he has summoned. He soared upward, the dragon attempting to follow him. It was successful; after a few good tugs, the dragon had broken free, the chain still around its neck, and followed Harry into the sky. Harry flew over the stands and the dragon followed, its tail dragging through the staff section.

All was silent as Harry and the dragon disappeared from sight. I looked around. Everyone looked tense; some biting their nails, some bounding, and others holding onto their friends. Several silent minutes passed, and then there was the sound of a window breaking, and a crash. The crowd emitted a collective gasp. The, Harry flew over the stands, swooped down, and grabbed the golden egg. The dragon was nowhere to be seen, and the crowd cheered.

O*O*O*O*O*O*

The common room was bustling with excitement when Harry entered, being carried on the shoulders of Dean and Seamus. When Harry held up the golden egg, everyone cheered. Harry had received first place in the task, being the only one to finish with unscathed dragon eggs. Shouts of "great work Harry!" and, "Way to go!" sounded around the room, and Harry looked happier than he had in a month.

"Should I open it?" Harry asked, grinning. The room cheered. "Who wants me to open it?" he asked, grinning bigger. The room exploded in woops, claps, and "open it!"s. Harry obeyed, opening the golden egg.

The sound emitted from the egg had to be the most painful thing I had ever experienced. Harry obeyed, opening the golden egg.

The sound emitted from the egg had to be the most painful thing I had ever experienced. It was an ear-shattering shriek that made my entire body hurt, starting at the head. Seamus and Dean dropped Harry to cover their own ears. Almost as soon as the noise started, it stopped when Harry closed the egg, much to the relief of the Gryffindor's. After a moment of much needed silence, a voice was heard from the door.

"What the bloody hell was that?" It was Ron. Harry turned his attention to the redhead. Everyone was silent as Ron shuffled over to Harry. I looked around; everyone was staring at them.

"Alright everyone, back to your knitting," I said loudly. "This will be uncomfortable enough without all you nosey sods listening in." I shooed everyone away. I couldn't hear what the two of them were saying, but Ron looked apologetic and Harry looked reluctant to give in until Hermione wandered over and said something that sounded like "Boys…".

"I'm guessing Harry forgave Ron, because he gave him a smile before retiring to the dorms for some much needed sleep.

In our corner-well I guess it's not really "our" corner anymore- Fred was talking happily with Lee (who had decided not to choose sides) and Angelina. Fred glanced over at me for a split second before bursting into louder-than-necessary laughter. I know fake laughter when I hear it, but it still hurt.

"You ok?" I jumped a little when I suddenly heard Jilani's voice. He was looking at me with wide eyes and knit eyebrows. I wanted to slap the innocent look off his face.

"I'm fine," I lied.

"You don't look fine," Jilani stated. No shit.

"So I've been told," I sighed. I leaned against the wall.

"Well that's because it's true. You've been so depressed these past couple weeks and you look awful."

"Gee, I wonder why," I said sarcastically.

Jilani sighed. "Look, George, I already said I'm sorry for coming onto you like that, but you cant tell me you didn't like what we did," he said.

"Whether or not I liked it is completely beside the point," I said harshly. "I cheated on Fred. I cheated on him and now he hates me."

"He doesn't hate you, he's just upset."

"Just upset? He hasn't spoken to me in two weeks, I think it's safe to say he's more than just upset."

"Well just forget about him," Jilani said casually. At that, I got angry.

"How the hell do you expect me to forget about my own twin brother?" I asked, raising my voice.

"I'm not saying you should forget him as a brother, just as a boyfriend," Jilani said calmly.

"I'm not gonna do that, I love him!" I yelled. The common room had now gone silent, but I didn't care.

"So? You just said it yourself, he _hates_ you!" Jilani shot at me, using my words against me. Now he was yelling too.

"Yeah, thanks to you!" I balled up my fists, my nails cutting into my palms as I tried to resist hitting him.

"Well is that who you want to spend your whole life with? Him? Be in a relationship with him forever?" he asked angrily.

"I don't know what I want for my whole life yet, but I know what I want now, and it isn't you!"

"George," Jilani's tone softened. "I know you, and you need-"

"You think you _know_ me?" I asked quietly, cutting him off. "You don't _know_ me! You never knew me!" My voice rose again. "Don't try to tell me what you think I need or what you think is best for me, because you don't _know_ anything about me!" At this point, I was almost screaming. How dare he say he knows me! He's only known I exist for a few weeks. There was a pause and all was silent.

Then he hit me.

That was it, the last straw. I drew back and punched him as hard as I could, giving him a bloody nose to match mine. Now everyone was yelling; some cheering us on, and others telling us to stop. We were punching, kicking, and shoving at any part of each other we could reach, trying to cause as much physical pain as we could. I felt someone grab me by the arms and pull me back as Lee restrained Jilani. I thrashed and pulled, struggling to get out of the grip of whoever was holding me.

"George! George stop!" It was Ron.

"Let go of me!" I yelled, still struggling.

"No! You need to calm down!" Ron gripped me tighter. I took a deep breath and stopped moving. Jilani pulled out of Lee's grip and stomped upstairs to the dorms.

Once Ron was sure I wouldn't go after him, he let me go. As soon as I was free, I moved through the crowd to the portrait hole. Fred was standing near it. I almost stopped, almost, but I didn't. I just pushed past him, and left.

**A/N- I hope you guys like this chapter, because I has fun writing it. **

**I want to give a shout out to Iloveskeeve2251 for bombarding me with reviews last night telling how awesome this story is, so thank you! I shall be updating again soon.**


	18. A Surprising Date

**A/N- Hey hey party people! I'm updating way sooner than I thought I would be, which is fantastic. I didn't think I'd finish writing this till Tuesday, but I made myself stay up until two in the morning to finish. Hope you like it! :D**

Chapter 18: A Surprising Date

To be honest, I was hoping that Fred would come running after me, stop me in the middle of the hall, and ask me what that row with Jilani was all about. Though admittedly, I have no idea what I would have said if he did. Therefore, I decided instead to hope that he would run after me, call me his hero for punching Jilani, and forgive me without question. Once I thought about it, it was more of fantasy than a hope.

I didn't have a particular destination that I was headed to, and I didn't need one. I wasn't going anywhere, just blowing off steam. My stomps gradually faded to normal steps and my fists uncurled around the fifteen minute mark. I walked blindly; turning corners and taking stairs as I came to them, not really knowing where I was going. I think I was on the seventh floor when I started thinking about what Jilani said, about how he thought he _knew_ me. My anger flared up again and I had the sudden need to punch something. I turned another corner and came to a dead end. I didn't know Hogwarts had dead ends. I turned around and began heading back the way I came when I saw a massive door. That door was definitely not there before. I stopped in front of it, briefly admiring its design. I wasn't sure if I should go in but I decided to chance it. I pushed open the heavy door and peered inside. I had to laugh a little when I saw what was inside. The room was full of punching bags, all of them looking quite battered. I stepped in, shutting the door behind me. This would be the perfect opportunity to let out some of my aggression without killing someone.

I stepped up to the nearest one and punched it as hard as I could, pretending it was Jilani's face. As soon as my fist connected with the rough fabric, I felt some of the tension inside me release. I punched a second time, a third time, each punch harder than the next. It felt so good to get it out of my system. Then, everything came flooding back into my head. The library when Jilani walked in, the kissing, the touching, the sex… Seeing Fred's face when he came back to the castle drunk and hurting, and finally today's events with Jilani. I started punching harder. My breathing picked up and my teeth were clenched, and it got to the point where I wasn't even punching anymore, I was pounding on it the way one would pound on someone's door. I pounded and pounded and finally shoved it, forcing myself back a few feet where I collapsed, sobbing.

"Fuuuuck!" I screamed out, beating my palms to the floor as I did so. I was an absolute wreck; my hair was messy and tangled, tears streaked my cheeks, and my knuckles were beginning to bruise and swell. I drew up my knees and took a deep breath. I tilted my head back and closed my eyes, attempting to calm myself. I opened them once my breathing returned to normal.

What the hell was going on with me today? I never lost control, and yet I had bloodied Jilani's nose and nearly had an emotional breakdown not five minutes ago. The tears were still coming despite my mental will for them to stop. _I am George Weasley, and George Weasley doesn't cry!_ I couldn't stop though, it was like all the sadness I had been feeling the last two weeks was finally catching up to me. When the tear flow eventually lessened, I laid down on the floor and closed my eyes. At some point, I drifted off to sleep.

I woke up some odd hours later and temporarily forgot where I was. I lifted my head and looked around, seeing the punching bags. Oh, yeah. I stood up and stretched my back popping as I did so. My watch told me it was almost curfew, so I exited the mysterious punching bag room and started to the common room. Three flights of stairs later, I arrived at the Fat Lady's portrait.

"Lion's Den," I muttered, giving the password. The portrait swung open, and as I climbed in, I heard the Fat Lady commenting on how awful I looked. How nice.

There were a handful of people still in the common room reading, doing homework, or just chatting. I really wasn't in the mood to sit around with them, so I decided it was as good a time as ever to start sleeping in the dorm again. The couch was starting to make me ache anyway. I quietly jogged up the stairs and entered the dorm pulling off my shirt. I walked to my bed and was about to kick off my shoes and collapse on to it when I noticed it was occupied. Had it been any other person, I would have woken them up and told them to shove off. It wasn't just any other person though; it was Fred. Fred was sleeping in my bed. I put my shirt back on, smiling to myself. Fred's bed was vacant, but I didn't take it. I could spare one more achy night on the couch.

O*O*O*O*O*O*

Sunday morning I decided it would probably be a good idea for me to work on the Charms essay that had been assigned on Friday. I trudged upstairs to retrieve my school bag and found Fred there, tying his shoe.

"Hey," I said without thinking, and my ears burned while I rifled through my bag for some parchment.

"Hi," Fred replied. I fumbled with my Charms book as I heard Fred stomp down the stairs. That was the first word he had spoken to me in two weeks, the first time he acknowledged my existence. I didn't go back down stairs, I wrote my essay right there on the floor, as if moving from that spot would make the moment unreal. I spent three hours writing it, but despite the time put into it I'm sure it was crap since I was so distracted. I was acting stupid, like a love sick girl who was just talked to by her secret crush. It was silly, but it still seemed like an important moment.

As I opened my school bag to put my book and essay away, I saw a folded piece of parchment laying at the bottom. I fished it out and unfolded it. It was the information on wands I had looked up in the library before seeing Jilani, I had forgotten all about it. I tossed it back in my bag; it was pretty useless for now.

I stood up slowly, a dull pain shooting through my legs from sitting cross-legged for so long. I descended the stairs to the common room and saw more people than I expected there. Usually people were out and about enjoying their last day of the weekend right about now. I saw Ginny sitting on the couch talking with Hermione and one of her other friends. When she saw me, she rushed over.

"Alright, George?" she asked.

"Yeah," I replied. "You?"

"I'm fine," she waved her hand around as though shooing the question away. "So I'm assuming that, given recent news, you and Fred are still on the rocks?"

I blinked. "What recent news?" I asked. Ginny stared at me for a moment; it looked like she was debating whether or not to tell me.

"So… You didn't hear?" she asked tentatively.

"Hear about what?"

"Fred has… A date tonight," Ginny said slowly. I didn't reply right away, I was still registering the words into my brain.

"A date," I repeated stupidly. Ginny nodded. "With who?" I asked.

"I don't know, he didn't say," Ginny told me. "But he did say where they were going. They're sneaking out to Hogsmeade to some restaurant called the Dragon's Lair."

"I know where that is," I muttered mostly to myself.

"They leave at seven, I think," Ginny added.

"Thanks a million, little sis!" I grinned.

"You won't do anything stupid will you?" she asked, raising an eyebrow.

"No promises."

O*O*O*O*O*O*

I saw Fred several times throughout the day, but his actions, words, nor companions gave any hint as t who his date might be. I'll admit, it was driving me a little batty, but I knew I'd find out soon enough. After lunch I was on my way back to the common room when I saw one of the Durmstrang boys approaching me. It was none other than Viktor Krum.

"Do you know Hermy-ow-ninny?" he asked.

"Er, Hermione?" I asked, laughing a little.

"Yes."

"Yeah, I know her."

"Vhere is she?" Krum inquired.

"Probably in the library," I shrugged. "She spends a majority of her free time there." He thanked me, and headed off. _What was that about, I wonder?_ I shrugged and continued to the common room. When I entered, I saw Hermione talking to Harry at one of the tables. I walked over and leaned against one of the chairs.

"…been working on the clue?" Hermione had been asking.

"Sorry to interrupt, but someone's looking for you," I said to Hermione.

"Really?" she asked. "Who?"

"Viktor Krum," I replied. "I sent him off to the library to find you because I thought that's where you would be." It was impossible not to notice the way Hermione's eyes lit up when I told it was Krum who was looking for her. She stood, smiling, and hustled away, calling behind her to Harry that she would be back later. I sat down next to Harry.

"Was he really looking for her?" Harry asked, suspiciously.

"Yes, my dear boy, he was," I said with a grin.

"You look happy, any luck with Fred?" Harry asked.

"Nope, but he has a hot date at the Dragon's Lair tonight and I plan on finding out just who it's with," I said.

Harry nodded. "Good luck."

"Thanks, mate."

The night came slowly, but when it did I was prepared. Harry checked the Marauders Map to tell me which passage Fred was waiting at. Luckily, it was one nearby. I went down two flights of stairs and tiptoed down the corridor, stopping around the corner from the passage. I quickly peeked around the corner; Fred was standing alone by a large tapestry of the Hogwarts crest. I assume he was waiting for his date. A moment later, I heard a voice that wasn't Fred's, a familiar voice. I chanced another peek around the corner and saw… Lee! What the… was Lee seriously Fred's date? I heard Fred say the password for the passage, and heard the _whoosh_ as it opened. I waited a full minute before following them. This passage was much shorter than the one-eyed witch passage, so in what seemed to be no time at all, I had followed them down the passage and out through the manhole cover where it let out. The streets and sidewalks were busy, so I blended right in. Ahead of me I saw Fred and Lee walking hand-in-hand weaving their way through the crowd. When they arrived at the Dragon's Lair, they gave their names before being escorted inside by a black-haired woman. Once they were inside, I approached the building. On the roof there was a large model of a dragon breathing fire into the sky, surrounded by a dome of grey bricks made to look like a cave. The fire bathed the snow and passing people in an orange glow. I parked myself at the far window, the perfect vantage point to watch them. I watched as they were seated and handed menus. About five minutes passed and they ordered food. Five minutes turned into ten minutes, and ten turned into thirty, and thirty turned into an hour.

The whole dinner was rather uneventful, and I was surprised and relived that nothing happened. When the two of them stood to pay the check, I ducked under the windows and sprinted two buildings down by the manhole. Lee and Fred came out holding hands, talking about something I couldn't hear. Then suddenly, Fred pulled Lee into a long kiss.

I didn't even blink. I didn't say anything, think anything, or do anything, I was unfazed. Why? Maybe because I knew I deserved it. I deserved to see their lips moving together like that, and Fred's hands moving up and down Lee's arms. They were pretty caught up in the kiss so I figured it was a good time to slip back into the passage. I began creeping over to the manhole a few feet away, but of course agile old me had to go and slip on an ice patch and crash face-first into the snow. For a moment, all was quiet, and then…

"George?" Fred called out. "Did you follow me here?" he asked. My face was bright red, and it had nothing to do with the snow.

"No," I lied.

"Then what are you doing here?" he asked, aggregated.

"Just… observing," I said slowly. He didn't answer, so I slid back into the passage.

**A/N- Hope you guys liked it! Review please! **


	19. Tickle Me Truthful

**A/N- Sorry this took so long to update, but my birthday was the 27****th**** so I was out and about. Plus I had to set up my new laptop before I could start typing, and then I went camping. Anyway, here's the chapter, I think it's pretty good if I do say so myself. :D**

**Oh, and sorry if Ron is out of character. I just watched "A Very Potter Sequel" and I have StarKidPotter's Ron stuck in my head. XD**

**Warning: This chapter has swearing in the beginning. Well, more swearing than usual. **

Chapter 19: Tickle Me Truthful

I managed to sneak easily out of the passage and into the corridor I trudged out of the castle and down to the black lake before safely letting myself think.

Lee was his Date? Seriously? I mean, don't get me wrong, Lee's a great guy, but come on! Did this mean they were going steady? Maybe it was just a one night thing. That kiss looked pretty serious though, I mean they were really into it. Dammit it was so confusing! I mean, really? Out of all the students in Hogwarts, he decided to date Lee, his best mate. And since when is Lee even gay? He never told us that! Or maybe it's just me he didn't tell me, and told Fred a long time ago. Merlin, what if they had been secretly dating all along? Wait, no, now I'm just being paranoid, but really. I was even feeling kind of betrayed. I mean, after all that shit with Jilani yesterday; punching him and practically screaming to the Gryffindor common room that I'm still very much in love with my twin, he didn't come after me, he didn't forgive me, he hardly even looked at me. Instead, he decided to go ahead and arrange a date with Lee. I deserved it though. I fucked another bloke after telling Fred straight to his face that I had eyes for no one but him. I told him he had nothing to worry about, that I had no interest in Jilani, and then, of course, I had to go fuck him. I'm officially the worlds biggest asshole.

So what do I do now? Confront Fred? Confront Lee? Spy on them? None of the above? I pulled up a handful of grass and tossed it in the lake. The blades of grass floated peacefully on the surface of the shimmering water.

"Hey, big brother," Ginny greeted from behind me. She slinked up beside me smiling, and sat down at my side. Her smile faded when she got a proper look at me. "You look forlorn."

I _feel_ forlorn," I said in monotone.

"I take it you followed Lee and Fred on their date?" she asked sympathetically.

"Yeah, I-" I paused and knit my eyebrows. "Wait, how did you know it was Lee? You said Fred didn't tell you who his date was," I pointed out.

"Uh, one of your dorm mates told me," she said quickly. "I asked around," she added.

"Oh… Well yeah, I followed them."

"I cant believe he went out with Lee," Ginny snorted. "He can do way better." I widened my eyes and she quickly added, "And by better I mean you!" It didn't matter though, he _could_ do better. Better than Lee and better than me. "Relax; maybe it was just a one time thing."

"I thought that too, at first, but that kiss practically punched me in the face with the words, 'more than a one time thing'," I muttered.

"They kissed?"

"They ate each others faces," I said bitterly. Ginny scrunched up her face.

"That's disgusting," she said.

"You have no idea," I sighed.

"I'm sorry George," Ginny said, putting an arm around me.

"'S ok," I mumbled. "Doesn't matter." I didn't say anything else, so she gave me a pat on the shoulder and left, her feet crunching the grass as she walked away. I sharply exhaled and dipped my fingers in the water of the black lake. The water had a very strange texture. It was like liquid silk slipping over my skin. I stood up and stared into the dark water. I blinked; once, twice, a third time. Then, without a second thought, I stepped into the lake.

The moment both of my feet left the grass, I sank straight into the water. It was freezing cold and impossibly deep. The sound changed and I felt totally weightless as I slowly descended. I opened my eyes under water, embracing the sting, and after a moment I realized I couldn't see anything in the murky water; not even the bubbled from the air I was blowing out of my nose rising to the surface. I had no idea how far down I was , but that wasn't my concern. Everything seemed so peaceful as I closed my eyes again. All was silent and it felt as if I could just… Die. Die and be through with this damned situation. No more worrying about Jilani, or Fred, or myself. Everything would just be over… Wait! I felt the sharp pain in my chest that told me I couldn't hold my breath anymore. I began madly kicking my feet, trying to propel myself to the surface. I must have sunk farther down than I thought because after what seemed like full minutes, I still hadn't reached the top. This was it, I was done, gone. I felt my lungs pull, my heart rate seemed to be slowing, and my head throbbed. Gone…Dead… Then, my head broke the surface and I took a painfully deep breath before coughing and spluttering. I gulped in as much air as I could and pushed my sopping hair out of my face. I threw my arms up onto the ground and clawed at the grass to pull myself up. I pulled up fistfuls of grass and chunks of dirt as I climbed up, getting my hands muddy. Finally, I was completely out of the water, and I dropped to my stomach, not caring that my clothes would now be all muddy. I laid my head in my arms, breathing heavily. Had… Had I just tried to kill myself? I hadn't gone in with intentions of killing myself, but once I was under, the idea was pretty inviting. Great, now I could add attempted suicide to the list of stupid things I had done.

Once my breathing slowed, I pulled myself up, and began walking slowly to the castle.

On the second floor, Filch saw me and demanded I clean up the water I had been trailing behind me, but I ignored him. When I entered the common room, I was bombarded with questions about why I was so wet and dirty, but I ignored them too and made a beeline for the showers. Once there, I stripped off my clothes, and stepped into the water, turning it as hot as it would go. My skin immediately turned bright red and burned, but I didn't care. Grass and dirt swirled down the drain, and I sighed.

Once I was out and had a towel around me, I realized I hadn't bothered to bring any dry clothes with me. I dug my wet wand out of my trouser pocket and muttered a quick drying spell on my clothes. I pulled on the trousers, zipping them up but not buttoning. I put on my shirt as well, but didn't bother buttoning it up since I was only going up the dorms. I picked up the rest of my clothes before padding out and up the stairs. I pulled off the shirt and pants and dropped them by my bed. It was only nine o'clock, but I was exhausted, so I pulled on just some boxers and pajama pants before collapsing into bed and falling asleep.

O*O*O*O*O*O*

When I woke up in the morning, it felt early. I squinted my eyes in the dark to look at my watch, and it said something like six-thirty. I couldn't fall back asleep, so I got up. I couldn't really see for sure, but I assumed everyone else was asleep. I groped around for my clothes in the dark; I jostled some stuff around and hit one of my bedposts before I actually found them on the trunk at the foot of my bed. Before putting on the trousers, I felt for the button and zipper so I wouldn't put them on backwards. Then I put on my shirt and slowly buttoned the buttons so I wouldn't miss any. Finally I pulled on my sweater vest and picked up my robes, tie, and shoes to put on in the common room.

When I got downstairs, I found I wasn't alone. As fate would have it, Lee was down there on the couch with a book. Fan-bloody-tastic. He looked up at me as I entered, and an emotion I couldn't identify flashed across his face. I walked over to a table and dropped my stuff on it so I could finish dressing.

"Uh, George?"

"What?" I snapped, hearing Lee's voice.

"Er, your vest is on backwards," he told me. I sighed and dropped my head down for a moment before pulling my arms in, turning it around, putting my arms back through, then fixing the collar. I quickly did up my tie before putting on and tying my shoes and putting on my robes.

Lee didn't say anything else after that, which I was grateful for. I wasn't in the mood to have a civil conversation with him.

I slouched out of the room to go down to breakfast. On the way down I passed the portrait of Sir What's-His-Face the knight, who was arguing loudly with the occupant of a neighboring portrait about their bravery, or lack thereof. I rolled my eyes. Still as annoying as he was last year when he replaced the Fat Lady after Sirius Black got into the castle. The Great Hall was fairly empty since it was early, but there were a few early-birds. I didn't mind, it meant I could take my time. I sat down alone at the Gryffindor table and began munching on a piece of buttered toast. The ceiling was bright and sunny, which lifted my mood.

As the minutes ticked by, the Great Hall slowly began to fill with students. When Harry, Ron, and Hermione came in, they sat across from me.

"Morning, you three," I greeted.

"Morning, George," they greeted back, Ron yawning, which caused the other two to yawn as well. They began piling food on their plates.

"So Harry, any progress on that egg yet?" I asked, stabbing some eggs.

"Nope," Harry said sadly. "Every time I open it it lets out that God-awful scream, if it can be called a scream."

"Well you need to figure something out Harry; the next task is in two weeks!" Hermione told him. "You've hardly done anything with the egg at all; you need to spend more time working on it. Maybe the noise is supposed to represent something," she suggested.

"Yeah, it represents the noise I wanna make every time I hear you trying to throw in your two knuts about things that don't concern you!" Ron said, rolling his eyes. "Don't be such a bloody stick in the mud, Hermione."

"Well sorry, _Ronald_," Hermione said coldly, sounding hurt. "I was only trying to help."

"Well he doesn't need your help," Ron snapped. Hermione's eyes filled with tears. They looked like they were going to spill over when suddenly, owls swooped in to deliver mail. A Barn Owl gave Hermione a newspaper, and Errol dropped a rather large package in front of Ron before collapsing headfirst into a platter of fried eggs.

"Mum's sent me something!" Ron announced, grinning. "Wonder why she sent Errol instead of Pigwidgeon," he wondered aloud.

"Pig is pretty small. He would have struggled with the package," Harry pointed out.

"Er, Errol didn't do much better," Ron said. He shrugged and began opening the package. I laughed out loud when it's contents were reviled. He pulled out a horrid looking dress of some sort. "Mum sent me a dress…"

"Does it come with a bonnet?" Harry asked, grinning madly. "Aha!" he pulled out an ugly collar.

"Care to model it for us, Ronnie?" I teased.

"Stuff it," Ron muttered, rolling his eyes. "Ginny, these must be for you," he said, walking over to Ginny, holding the thing between thumbs and forefingers as if it were covered in grime.

I'm not wearing that, it's ghastly," Ginny said, raising her eyebrows.

"They're not for Ginny," Hermione said smugly. "They're for you. Dress robes."

"What for?" Ron asked.

"Search me," Harry shrugged.

O*O*O*O*O*O*

Breakfast ended peacefully and everyone moved on to their classes. I had potions first, and I sat with a Hufflepuff boy I had been sitting with lately. I think his name's James. After that I went to Defense Against the Dark Arts and History of Magic, time seeming to go slower and slower with every subject. When I got to Transfiguration, I was pretty sure time had come to a complete halt. Before everyone left, McGonagall told us that there would be a meeting in the Great Hall for fourth years and over after lessons.

Charms rolled around, second to last class of the day. When I entered the classroom, most people were already there. Flitwick then told us we would be reviewing basic spells. He said he was going to have people getting into partners he'd already assigned based on the charm we had dome most poorly at. I already knew what mine was; _Rictumsempra_, the tickling charm. I find that to be pretty ironic. Flitwick was naming partners and I knew who I would get before he even said it.

"Fred and George Weasley," Flitwick called out. Of course it would be him. Fred and I approached each other, wands out like we were going to duel. I looked at him, and he looked at me, and for a moment we didn't say anything.

"Let's practice then," Fred said flatly. "_Rictumsempra_!" he yelled. The spell wasn't strong enough to actually tickle me, but it felt like someone had poked my sides, which made me gasp. The sensation had gone as quickly as it had come, and it was my turn.

"_Rictumsempra_!" Fred jumped, and a smile tugged at the corner of his lips, but he fought it. He obviously didn't want to smile. It disappointed me, to an extent. I missed his smile, and I had almost seen it again. I didn't worry though, if I was going to practice this all lesson, I would get a smile out of him.

We went back and forth a few times, still getting very weak results. After about ten minutes of practicing, Fred managed to get a yelp out of me. The most I had gotten out of him was a sharp exhale. Either I was getting worse, or he was really fighting his reactions. We tried a few more times, and I finally managed to make Fred smile. It was the most beautiful thing I had ever seen. Before I had time to drink it in, it had disappeared, and the feeling of fingers dusting over my sides caused me to burst into laughter. Fred smirked, having won our unspoken battle. It took me two more tries before I got a chuckle out of him, and within fifteen minutes, we had each other tearing up with laughter. I looked around the room. Everything was loud and chaotic, now was the best time to ask Fred the question that had been weighing heavily on my mind without non-Gryffindor's overhearing. I moved closer to him, and lowered my voice a little.

"Fred," I said through laughter. "Are you a-and Lee t-together?" I asked, tears in my eyes because I was laughing so hard. He didn't say anything. I did the spell again, and through his laughter, he still said nothing. "Fred?" I asked.

"I heard you," he said, still smiling from the tickling.

"The answer me," I said, just before he sent the spell at me again and I went into a fresh fit of laughter. When it ended, I waited a moment before sending it at Fred.

"N-no!" he gasped, laughing. "We aren't together," he said. I would have breathed a sigh of relief if I weren't laughing.

"Then what was that date all about?" I asked, wiping my tears of laughter away. No response. We took turns doing the spell a few times, but he still didn't answer me. After five straight minutes of no answer I figured he just wouldn't tell me.

"I-I was trying to-to make you jealous,' Fred admitted, cracking up.

"What?"

"I wanted to make you jealous. That's why I went on that date with Lee." Fred scratched his arm, looking kind of guilty.

"I didn't know Lee was gay," I muttered. "_Rictumsempra_!"

"He isn't," he gasped after the spell ended. "It… It was a fake date. _Rictumsempra_."

"A fake d-date? Are you freaking k-kidding?" I asked in a low voice, trying to fight the laughter.

"Yeah." Fred said. He started cracking up when I murmured the spell. "I t-told Ginny to tell you th-that I was going on a d-date because I-I knew you-you would follow me." I suddenly remembered Ginny's slip-up back at the lake. "_One of your dorm mates told me,_" she had told me. She was lying, and she did a damn good job.

"I can't fucking believe y-you would do that!" I exclaimed, inhaling sharply.

"You cant believe me?" Fred asked quietly. "I think a fake date is far less in comparison to a real date."

"It wasn't a date," I reminded him. "_Rictumsempra_."

"F-Fine. A one n-night stand," he said, still managing to sound menacing through the laughter. I lowered my wand. He lowered his.

"That's was a mistake, the biggest mistake of my life, and I've been living in a hell for the past two and a half weeks because of it," I told him quietly. "I never intended to go with him like that. I shouldn't have agreed to study with him in the first place, and I'm so sorry I did." Fred looked at me.

"Really?" he asked. I raised an eyebrow.

"No, Fred, I'm totally kidding. Yes, really!" I rolled my eyes, smiling a little. "I miss you." Fred just looked at me for a minute before moving forward and wrapping me into a hug. I hugged back, squeezing him as hard as I could, relishing the feel of him. Two and a half weeks without a hug was far too long. The loud bell suddenly sounded, marking the end of the lesson. Fred and I moved out of the room quickly.

"We're skiving Arithmancy," Fred murmured in my ear.

"Fine by me," I said, and we went back to the common room.

As soon as the dorm door shut, I threw myself at Fred, slamming our lips together. The initial contact hurt like hell and I think I drew blood, but I didn't care. All I wanted to do was kiss him, and if I had to lose a limb in the process, so be it.

**A/N- Again, I'm so sorry it took so long to update. I've had a lot going on. I hope you enjoyed the chapter though; it's my longest so far. Don't forget to review. **


	20. Together Again

**A/N- Hey there! I got some lovely reviews on my last chapter, and I hope this one is just as good. :D**

**WARNING: This beginning scene involves naughty acts. ;) Read at your own risk… XD **

**I wrote this beginning scene while listening to "Shut Up and Drive" by Rihanna, so if you want to get the full effect, I suggest listening to that while you read this first scene. :D This was not meant to be sweet! XD**

Chapter 20: Together Again

Fred's hands roamed everywhere on my body at least twice as he kissed me.

"I missed you so much…" he growled against my lips as he ran his hands down my arms. He separated from my mouth and moved to kiss my neck and I gasped when he began biting and sucking, no doubt leaving a love bite. We were stumbling around, bumping into things, and knocking stuff over, but I'm sure Fred wasn't bothered and I knew I sure as hell wasn't. He undid my trousers and dove right in without bothering to take them off as he returned his attention to my mouth. I gasped against his lips at the feel of his calloused hands grabbing me. I gripped his waist and deepened the kiss. We maneuvered around until I had him up against the wall and put a hand on either side of him. I pulled away and rested my head on his shoulder, breathing heavy. Fred quickly switched our positions and went down on me. I gasped, the feeling of his mouth sending me into shock. My eyes closed and I threw my head back. I winced in pain when my head collided with the wall, but didn't linger on the pain. I twisted my fingers in his hair as his head bobbed back and forth.

"Ah... Oh Merlin…" I moaned, panting. I could feel the climax coming, and I groped around for something to grab onto so I wouldn't pull Fred's hair. My hand found the post of a bed and I gripped for dear life. "Oh… Oh Merlin… I'm close…" I breathed, squeezing the post. It was coming, I could feel it. Then finally, "I'm coming! Oh man, ah!" I came hard, scratching the bedpost as I forced myself not to scream in pleasure. Fred got to his feet and kissed me fiercely. After he pulled away he looked at the bedpost.

"Wow, George, You did some major damage," Fred grinned, inspecting the scratches.

"Well whaddya say we do some more?" I asked suggestively.

"Well, if you insist…" Fred raised his eyebrows. I pushed him onto the bed and straddled his hips. I leaned down and kissed from his mouth, to his jaw, to his neck as I unbuckled his belt. When I got his pants undone, I pulled them down a little and began pumping him. Fred's reaction to my touch drove me to go faster. He was squirming underneath me panting and moaning. I kissed his lips lightly, and then moved to give him a love bite at the crook of his neck. His hands found my back and he latched onto my shirt. Once I had left a nice bright mark, Fred buried his face in my neck, breathing hard.

"Ungh, Merlin, I'm almost there…" he murmured, his voice muffled. I moved my hand faster, drawing a very positive reaction from my twin. Finally, he arched his back and moaned loudly before with a smile pulling at his lips.

"You have no idea how much I missed that," I said, chuckling.

"Oh, I think I do," Fred retorted, smirking. I muttered a cleaning spell, and laid down next to him on the bed. We laid together like that for about ten minutes, and I was about ready to fall asleep when a bell chimed through the dorm, telling us lessons were over. "We have to go to that meeting in the Great Hall," Fred said.

"I know," I said, and sat up. I glanced to Fred and saw him sitting cross-legged in the center of the bed. I leaned back with my head in his exposed lap. He looked down at me, smiling, and stroked my hair. "We should get cleaned up," I sighed. Fred nodded his agreement and I sat up from his lap. I did up my zipper and I heard the clank of Fred's belt. Once we were presentable, we slipped into the stairway and began our descent to the Great Hall. Once there, I saw that there were bleachers up against each wall just like when the Tri-Wizard champions were chosen, only now there was also a giant gramophone on the floor with Filch standing beside it sneering at students. McGonagall stood in the center of the floor patiently waiting for everyone to get seated. Once everyone was seated and silent, she began talking.

"Now, since Hogwarts is hosting the Tri-Wizard tournament, we shall also be host to another event; the annual Yule Ball," she said to everyone in a loud clear voice. "Now, I will want all of you to put your best foot forward. I mean this quite literally, because the Yule Ball is first and foremost… a dance." At that, all the boys groaned, and all the girls squealed.

"I suppose that explains Ron's ancient dress robes," I commented, sniggering. Fred snorted.

"Everyone WILL be on their best behavior." McGonagall said sternly. "I will not have you acting like a babbling, bumbling, band of baboons."

"Try saying that five times fast," Fred challenged me, smirking. For a minute, Fred and I went back and forth attempting to do it without messing up.

"Babbling bubbling…"

"Bambling bumbling…"

"Mr. Weasley." Fred and I both looked to McGonagall, expecting her to give us detention for disrupting, but she was looking at Ron. "Come up here, boy." Ron stood slowly, looking very confused. "Place your hand on my waist," she commanded. Ron blushed immediately.

"Where?" he whispered.

"My waist," McGonagall said in a flat tone, raising an eyebrow. Ron moved his hand to put it on her waist, but it never landed, it simply hovered. McGonagall rolled her eyes and put his hand in position. She then put a hand on his shoulder and clasped his other hand and began demonstrating a waltz. "One, two, three… One, two, three…" Fred and I sniggered into our palms and swayed to the cackling music now coming from the gramophone, pretending to dance.

"Oy," came Harry's voice. We leaned toward him. "You're never gonna let him forget this are you?" he asked, grinning.

"Never," we confirmed together.

McGonagall went on dancing with Ron until the song was finished. When she allowed him to take his seat, he was beat red, and sank down in his seat. Before everyone swarmed out of the Great Hall to enjoy the rest of their night, McGonagall made one final announcement.

"The Yule Ball with take place this Saturday from Seven pm until midnight."

When we got back in the common room, all anyone was talking about was the Yule Ball. Whether it was about what dress someone would wear, or how much someone didn't want to go, it was on everyone's minds. Fred and I had never been to a dance before, and this would surely be quite an experience. The only issue we could think of was the dress robes. If Mum had anything to do with it, we would look just as horrid as Ron. We agreed that we would write a letter to Mum telling her that we had it covered.

We sat down side-by-side on the couch, holding hands. I sighed contentedly. It had been so long since we had sat like that together, just sitting quietly enjoying each others company. Those two weeks we had been fighting were the longest two weeks of my life, and I was so happy we were together again. Everyone was sneaking side glances at us, noticing us breathing the same air, an indication that things between us were fine again. Jilani passed us by, clenching his fists. I closed my eyes. I didn't want to look at Jilani or think about him. In fact, I wanted to completely forget about his existence. After all, if it weren't for him, the fight wouldn't have happened in the first place. I mean yeah, it was also my fault for allowing myself to go with him, but if he hadn't been born at all, or at least a year before or after us, it could have been avoided entirely. Then again, it could have happened with anyone, but I pushed that out of my mind. Blaming someone else was the most logical thing to do because, after all, who wants to blame themselves?

O*O*O*O*O*

The next two days passed uneventfully. Breakfast, lessons, lunch, lessons, dinner, sleep, repeat. The daily events of the average student were dulled considerably in comparison to the upcoming Yule Ball. Even Fred and I, who were anything but average, were bored of the monotony. More and more large packages started coming in the mail in the mornings, obviously dresses, dress robes, and tuxedoes for the event. Fred and I decided that, even though it was a formal event, we would not be wearing dress robes or suits. Jeans, a dress shirt, and a tie would have to be enough for McGonagall.

By Thursday, many people had given up on their studies in favor of talking about the ball. Teachers had a hard time getting students to quiet down and do their work because everyone was far too excited. Everyone except for the first, second, and third years, who were not allowed to attend unless invited by an older student. Fred and I had discovered the previous day that Ginny had been invited by Neville Longbottom, so she would be attending. Mum had sent her a dress and it arrived this morning. It wasn't the prettiest thing, but it suited Ginny nicely. During study hall, I overheard Ron and Harry talking about how they didn't have dates yet. Fred overheard as well and tossed a note at Ron's head.

Better hurry little bro, or all the good ones will be gone.

Ron read the note over and scowled at Fred.

"Who're you going with then?" he asked in a whisper.

"No one," he said. "George and I decided not to take dates."

"Girls are so high-maintenance anyway," I added, grinning. Ron rolled his eyes and turned back to Harry.

"Lets make a pact, by tomorrow, we'll both have dates," he said. "Agreed?"

"Agreed," Harry said and Snape walked by, who gave each of them a smack on the back of the head with a composition book. I snickered.

"Hey, Hermione…" You're a girl," Ron said to Hermione. Hermione frowned.

"Well spotted," she rolled her eyes.

"Well, you know it's one thing for a bloke to show up alone… but for a girl it's just sad." At that, Hermione scowled.

"For your information, I won't be going alone because someone asked me!" Hermione whisper-yelled. She then stood up and walked to Snape to hand in her composition book. As she came back to grab her books, she whispered, "And I said yes!" With that, she stalked away. Ron looked dejected.

"Wow, Ron," I smirked. "You sure do have a way with the ladies."

"Shut up."

**A/N- I'm really sorry this chapter is so short, and it's probably not as great as the last ones, but I was really eager to get this one out so that I can type up the next one.**

**I'm sad I couldn't do the little scene between Fred and Angelina when he asks he to the ball, because that always makes me laugh, but it would ruin the next chapter.**

**Cyber cookies to everyone who reviews! :D**


	21. The Yule Ball

**A/N- Alright, so I know the last chapter may have seemed kind of rushed, and that's because it was. I was in a rush to get to this chapter because I'm really excited for it. **

**I HIGHLY RECOMMEND that you listen to the song "I Want You" by Savage Garden before reading this. That song is included in the chapter and it's important that you actually listen to it because it sets the emotion of the end. So please please PLEASE listen to it.**

**Also, this chapter contains the use of Muggle technology. I know I shouldn't, but I had to. If I didn't, it would ruin my perfect ending, and we cant have that now can we? :D**

Chapter 21: The Yule Ball

I got a good laugh Thursday night. Fred and I were talking with Lee about unimportant things when Ginny and another girl came bursting into the common room supporting Ron. I worried a bit at first, but after a closer look, I saw he wasn't hurt, he just looked like he was in shock. Fred, Harry, Hermione, and I gathered around him.

"What happened?" Fred asked.

"Well…" Ginny started.

"He sort of…" The other girl tried.

"I asked Fleur Delecore to the ball," Ron whispered, looking terrified. Harry widened his eyes.

"What did she say?" he asked.

"No, of course," Hermione said, looking at Ron. Ron just shook his head. "She said yes?" Hermione asked, cupping her hands over her mouth in shock. I raised an eyebrow. I was shocked; he got pretty lucky.

"Of course not," Ron told her. I rolled my eyes. What was I thinking? Ron would never get that lucky. "She was just walking by… You know I like it when they walk…" Harry nodded understandably. "It just… slipped out."

"Actually, he sort of screamed at her," Ginny said. "It was a bit frightening." I busted out laughing, as did Fred. That was just too good! Ron getting shot down by Fleur; what was he thinking, asking her, anyway? She was WAY too good for him. I suppose it was worth a shot though. I would have shit a brick if she really had said yes.

Ron spent most of that night trying to get over his rejection, while Fred and I sat with Lee in our corner and tried to think of joke products.

"I've got an idea," Fred said suddenly. I could almost see the light bulb above his head. "What if we made something that _helped_ people?" he suggested. Lee and I just stared at him for a long time.

"Well it wouldn't be much of a prank then, would it?" I said, amused.

"Well no, I don't mean helpful to_ everyone_. Just us students."

"What are you thinking?" Lee asked.

"Well what if we made something that could get us out of class whenever we wanted?" he pitched. "I don't mean a distraction though, more like… A sweet. Candy that makes you sick," he grinned.

"That's a great idea, but how would we reverse the sickness once we're out?" I asked.

"Already thought of that," Fred said, smirking. "They would each be two different colors, one side you eat to make you ill, and then once you're out of class, you eat the second half to make you better."

"Fred, you're a genius!" I exclaimed. "It appeals to everyone, and it would be dead useful." I grinned, and Lee gave him a pat on the back.

"Great thinking mate," he told him.

"Well, I try," Fred said smugly.

"We'll have to get really good at potions though, because those sweets need to be cooked, and that's the only way we can get them to work," I pointed out.

"No problem," Fred said with a wave of his hand. "We're the Weasley twins! We're good at everything, and if there's something we aren't good at, which is rare, we'll get good at it."

"Brilliant! We have our next product," I smiled. "We can research different potions this weekend or something."

When midnight rolled around, we all agreed it was time to hit the hay. We stampeded up the stairs making as much noise as possible to piss off those who were trying to sleep. Fred gave me a swift goodnight kiss before retiring to bed.

O*O*O*O*O*O*

The next day was absolutely hectic. No matter what professors said, everyone was excited for the ball the next day. No amount of detention threats, extra homework, or yelling could calm anyone down. All the girls were turned around in their seats or halfway across the room talking to other girls or their dates about how excited they were, what they planned to wear, and what they planned to do, paying no attention to the lectures. Classes were loud and chaotic, and eventually, the professors gave up on trying to calm us down. After all, what was the point? Nothing they said would get through our heads anyway. This was how the entire day went, not that I minded. Fred and I hardly ever paid attention in class anyway unless it would benefit us. At least today we wouldn't get in trouble for it. When lessons finally ended, the corridors were bustling. Everyone was going every which way and about five steps out of the classroom, I was knocked over. The contents of my school bag spilled across the floor and I scrambled to pick everything up before it could get stepped on. Fred helped, and we quickly had my things in order.

"What's this?" Fred asked curiously, looking at a sheet of parchment. He showed me its writing and I realized it was the information for the trick wands.

"Oh!" I said. "The day I went to the library, I looked up spells we could use for the trick wands," I told him. "I forgot that I had forgotten."

"These spells are perfect!" Fred smiled. "We can get started on these really soon."

When we got back into the common room, we spotted Harry and Draco sitting all cuddly-like at a table. They were whispering and laughing, looking excited. It had been a while since I had seen them in the same room together.

"I see you've found your date then," I smirked.

"Of course," Harry said, knitting his eyebrows.

"What was all that talk yesterday about not having a date and trying to find a girl?" Fred asked, rising a surprised look from Draco.

"Well, Ron seemed to have temporarily forgotten about Draco, and I wasn't about to make him feel any worse," he said.

"Ah," I nodded. We left them alone after that, to talk and what not.

When dinner rolled around, I didn't mention any of that to Ron, like the good brother I am.

"Found a date yet, Ron?" I asked. Ron sighed.

"Yeah," he sulked.

"Why so down?" Fred asked. "You should be ecstatic that another living female is willing to hang out with you all night," Fred said.

"It's Padma Patil… I didn't really want to ask her, but she seemed to be the only one without a date so I had no choice. She didn't really seem to happy when she agreed."

"Ah, that's more like it," I sighed. "The order of the world has been restored once more." Ron rolled his eyes, and horked down some roast beef.

"How bout you, Ginny?" Fred asked. "Excited for your date with Neville?"

"Yes, actually, I am," Ginny said haughtily. "Neville is a really nice guy, I'm glad he asked me."

"You're not just saying that because you're allowed in now, are you?" I asked.

"No! Of course not!" Ginny smacked my arm, but laughed anyway.

O*O*O*O*O*O

That night, I couldn't sleep. I'll admit, I was really excited for the ball, it would be the first I've ever been to. Dad told me that Muggles have dances all the time at their schools. They play things called CD's through big speakers and have flashing lights and everyone dances and has a great time. He also told me that kids tend to spike drinks with alcohol, which had given Fred and I an idea. I wasn't sure what Fred and I would do at the ball. I mean, of course we would dance, everyone does. During fast songs anyway. As far as us as a couple though, only the Gryffindor's knew about us, and I didn't know whether or not I wanted everyone to know just yet. Everyone seemed to take Harry and Draco coming out well, but I wasn't so sure about Fred and I. It was one thing to be gay, quite another to be incest. Gryffindor took it fine, but… That's just Gryffindor. The other houses might not be as accepting, especially Slytherin. I shook the thoughts out of my head. I wouldn't worry about it now. I was dead tired, and just wanted to sleep.

I woke up at around ten AM on Saturday, and went down to breakfast with Fred as usual. When we got to the Great Hall, we saw Dumbledore standing at his podium, about to announce something.

"I thought it would interest all of you to know," he began, "That we, the staff, have decided it would be quite interesting if we were to experiment with muggle technology during the ball." Fred and I looked at each other and the room buzzed. "We have decided that we will be playing all music through a Muggle stereo system!" he announced. I grinned. This should be good.

By the time five o'clock rolled around, everyone was bustling to get ready. Girls flooded the dorm bathrooms putting on makeup and doing their hair. I noticed that a lot of those girls actually didn't look half bad dressed up. A lot of blokes in my dorm cleaned up nice as well. While everyone got ready, Fred and I just watched. We weren't going to be super formal, and we didn't have dates, so we didn't need a full two hours to get ready. Half till seven, we changed into our clothes. Me in black jeans, a white long-sleeved dress shirt, and an inky blue tie, and Fred in dark blue skinny-legged jeans, a black button up long-sleeved, and a white tie. He looked absolutely stunning. Once we were dressed and ready, we made our way to the Great Hall with everyone else. When I stepped inside, my jaw dropped in awe. The Great Hall had been transformed into a Winter wonderland.

Fred and I walked in to the great hall, my eyes drawn to him and the way his clothes fit him trim body. Jeans and a button up choice are a much better choice than dress robes. I hear the pulse of the music as we approached, obviously done over a muggle recording system- but done well. Entering the room the music rushed over us, fast paced, heavy bass, rushing lyrics. I was swept away and Fred followed me. We rocked out getting lost in the beat. We continued that way for a few songs, laughing at each others ludicrous dance moves. A slower song came on and we walked over to the refreshment table.

"Hey Fred, did you bring-"

"The potion? Of course! I am Forge Weasley you know!" He winked at me and I watched as he spiked the punch with an inhibition lowering potion. Just as good as alcohol, but less illegal than giving firewhiskey to minors. He returned with two glasses of un-spiked punch. We settled down watching some people drink it, clearly unable to detect the potion. Lee joined us with Angelina by his side. Harry and Draco came up to us.

"So who did it? Whose idea was it?" Draco asked, looking at us suspiciously.

"I have no-"

"-Idea what you could-"

"Ever be talking about."

"Who spiked the punch and turned Harry into a… a… a Gryffindor?"

"Sorry to break it to you Blondie-"

"Harry is-"

"And always has been-"

"A Gryffindor!" Fred and I finished together. Draco just glared at us and I shrugged as he dragged Harry over to Ron and Hermione and sat him down over there.

The song ended and Dumbledore came on stage.

"Good evening you witches and wizards! I hope you've been enjoying your evening," I swear he winked at me, "Enjoying refreshments and music. Now, I've discovered another interesting bit of Muggle technology that we can put into use right about… Now!" The lights went off and flashing strobe lights came on. When the music followed they slowed down to the beat.

"OOH! George, I love this song- come on!" Fred grabbed my hand and pulled me onto the dance floor. His hands fell to my waist and mine onto his shoulders. It felt natural but I couldn't bring myself to lift my eyes to face him.

_**Anytime I need to see your face, I just close my eyes **_

_**And I am taken to a place, **_

_**Where your crystal minds and magenta feelings **_

_**Take up shelter in the base of my spine **_

_**Sweet like a chica cherry cola**_

I get lost in the music relax a little as I feel Fred's thumbs hook into my belt loops.

_**I don't need to try to explain **_

_**I just hold on tight and If it happens again **_

_**I may move so slightly to the arms **_

_**And the lips and the face **_

_**Of The Human Cannonball that **_

_**I need to I want to... **_

_**Come stand a little bit closer**_, I moved a little closer to my twin. **_Breathe in and get a little bit higher_**, I could smell his soap, his shampoo, his scent; I could get high on that scent. _**You'll never know what hit you when I get to you**_. I could feel Fred's breath on me, hear his voice clearly from the melody as he sang the chorus. I looked up and our eyes locked.

"_**Ooh I want you, I don't know if I need you. Ooh I'd die to find out. Ooh I want you, I don't know if I need you, Ooh I'd die to find out."**_

The lyric spoke to me. Fred spoke to me. Fred spoke to my heart. He's the one I want. The one I need. He's the only one for me. I felt my lips break into a smile; I moved a closer to him, my arms locking behind his neck, and we swayed in synch; with the music and with each other. The strobe lights flashed on his face, making his eyes sparkle, his hair shine. I ran my hand through it as we danced.

_**I'm the kind of person who endorses a deep commitment**_  
_**Getting comfy getting perfect is what I live for**_  
_**But a look, and then a smell of perfume**_  
_**It's like I'm down on the floor**_  
_**And I don't know what I'm in for**_

The beat of the music and the flashing strobe light made Fred's movements look choppy, like looking through a flip book, and he seemed to be moving in slow motion. He looked so seductive, moving against me, staring into my eyes, and I never wanted it to end.

_**Conversation has a time and place**_  
_**In the interaction of a lover and a mate,**_  
_**But the time of talking, using symbols, using words**_  
_**Can be likened to a deep sea diver who is swimming with a raincoat**_

**_Come stand a little bit closer_**  
**_Breathe in and get a bit higher_**  
**_You'll never know what hit you_**  
**_When I get to you_**

Fred pulled me by my belt loops so that I was up against him. When the chorus came around, we sang it together, the slightest of smiles gracing his lips.

_**Ooh, I want you**_  
_**I don't know if I need you**_  
_**But, ooh, I'd die to find out**_  
_**Ooh, I want you**_  
_**I don't know if I need you**_  
_**But, ooh I would die to find out**_

Fred leaned in close, and I could feel his breath. He began whisper-singing in my ear.

**_Anytime I need to see your face_**  
**_I just close my eyes_**  
**_And I am taken to a place where your crystal mind and_**  
**_Magenta feelings take up shelter in the base of my spine_**  
**_Sweet like a chica cherry cola_**

**_I don't need to try to explain;_**  
**_I just hold on tight_**  
**_And if it happens again, I might move so slightly_**  
**_To the arms and the lips and the face of the human cannonball_**  
**_That I need to, I want you_**

He moved his hands over my arms, brushed his thumb across my lips, and cupped my cheek. We sang the chorus together again, looking each other in they eye, serious faces and it felt so intimate. His hands fell back to my belt loops. A musical interlude between verses came, and Fred rested his head on my shoulder. I closed my eyes, enjoying the feeling of him leaning against me, loving me. I smiled and ran my hands down his back. I don't know what it was about this song, but it made everything seem perfect. As the chorus rolled around again, Fred's hands found my waist, and he lifted me. I kept my knees pressed against either side of his hips so I could stay upright, and I found myself possitioned slightly above him. I put my arms around his neck and we grinned as we sang.

_**Ooh, I want you**_  
_**I don't know if I need you**_  
_**But, ooh, I'd die to find out**_  
_**Ooh, I want you**_  
_**I don't know if I need you**_  
_**But, ooh I would die to find out**_

He put me down, but kept his hands on my waist, and during the last chorus, we sang loud, our voices rising above the music. We were singing to eachother, and we didnt care that everyone knew it.

_**Ooh, I want you**_  
_**I don't know if I need you**_  
_**But, ooh, I'd die to find out**_  
_**Ooh, I want you**_  
_**I don't know if I need you**_  
_**But, ooh I would die to find out**_

When the song ended and the last guitar notes faded, The stobe lights ended and the lights turned back on. There was silence; the moment had ended. I froze when I noticed that we were the only ones left on the dance floor, and everyone was looking at us. I tried to back up, release him. But I couldn't. I realized- I didn't want to either.

"I'm sure everyone's wetting themselves with anticipation, so why don't we give them what they're waiting for?" Fred whispered. With that, he leaned in and kissed me. A light, soft kiss on the lips. I nearly melted. The kiss was perfect, just like him.

**A/N- Here it is, chapter 21. My favorite by far. Millions of thanks to iloveskeeve2251 for helping me! I visualized the whole ending scene with the dancing in my head but couldn't put most of it into words. Luckily, iloveskeeve2251 was there for me, so thanks a million!**

**If you never review another chapter, at least review this one. It's extra important that you review on this one because I want to know how I did. ****Hope you liked it**


	22. Bleeding and Broken

**A/N- I got great reviews on the last chapter, so I'm hoping this chapter is just as good. Hope you like it! **

**Oh, and as far as Hermione is concerned, I took the dress from the movie, and the hair from the book. Anyway, on to the chapter!**

Chapter 22: Bleeding and Broken

When Fred broke the kiss, I looked around, studying people faces. Some people were smiling, though I recognized a majority of them as Gryffindors. Everyone else didn't really have a particular expression, apart from raised eyebrows and some pursed lips. I really didn't know what to make of it, and when I saw Fred's smile fade, I knew he didn't either. Another song began to play, fast paced this time, and people began to trickle back onto the dance floor and danced like nothing had happened, which I took to be a good sign. Before long, Harry and Ron appeared at our side. I snorted with laughter when I saw Ron; he looked absolutely ridiculous. He rolled his eyes.

"That was quite a show," Harry said, smiling.

"Yeah, it was, wasn't it?" I said breathily, putting my hands in my pockets.

"Where's your date, then?" Fred asked Ron.

"Off dancing with some other bloke," he said.

"Oooh, tough break," I said, and patted him on the shoulder.

"I'm quite glad to be rid of her actually," Ron admitted. "Things were starting to get awkward."

"Now he can stare at Hermione as much as he wants," Harry said, laughing a very un-Harry like laugh.

"Where is she anyway?" I asked. Harry pointed to one of the refreshment tables. I looked in the direction he pointed. As soon as my eyes landed on her, I swear I went straight for about ten seconds. Hermione wore a flowing pink dress with wispy mesh short sleeves and shiny strappy high heels. Her hair was no loner bushy and out of control, but straight, shiny, and sleek.

"She looks absolutely stunning," I said in awe, Fred nodding in agreement.

"Cut me a piece of that," Harry said, staring shamelessly at her, and wolf-whistled.

"Harry!" Ron exclaimed, glaring at him.

"Sorry Ron, but I would totally shag her, gay or not." Ron looked furious, so I stepped in.

"Relax Ron, it's the potion talking," I told him quickly. Tis seemed to relax him a bit, but he was still giving Harry the Evil Eye. I looked back to Hermione, still dumbstruck by her beauty, and saw her talking animatedly with a Durmstrang boy. Was that…? No, it couldn't be.

"Is that Viktor Krum that Hermione's chatting it up with over there?" I asked.

"Yeah," Ron said bitterly. "He's her date."

"Go Hermione," Fred muttered, nodding approvingly. I saw Hermione pour herself a glass of punch, then down half of it in one gulp. Her movements suddenly became a bit over exaggerated, and she laughed a lot more and she swayed on the spot. The Inhibition-Lowering potion was working it's magic on Miss Hermione Granger. I made no attempt to stop her from drinking anymore. Miss All-Work-No-Play needed to let loose for a bit. Then, while Krum was saying something to her, she leaned forward and kissed him. I grinned; I could only imagine her reaction when she was sobered up and hearing this from someone else. Ron looked like his head was about to explode, and he stalked off. Another slow song began to play and Fred and I went to the dance floor followed by Harry and a now very tipsy-looking Draco. My hands went around Fred's neck, and Fred's hands around my waist. Why not? Now that we were out, there was nothing to hold us back. We danced together for most of the night, occasionally straying away from the dance floor to get a drink or talk to someone. When the night finally came to an end, I was rather sad, but happy to have enjoyed such a good night.

"That was fantastic," I said to Fred as we exited the Great Hall.

"I know. Muggles sure know how to have a good time, don't they?" he grinned.

"Definitely," I agreed. We rounded the corner to go the shortcut to the common room, and I spotted the portrait of the Hogwarts crest. "Hey, whaddya say we hop down to the Three Broomsticks and get a couple of butterbeers?" I suggested. "The punch didn't really do it for me."

"I'm dead tired, mate. All I wanna do is go sit down for a while," he groaned.

"That's alright, I'll get them myself," I shrugged. "I'll meet you back at the common room."

"Alright," Fred said, yawning. "Hurry back though, so I'm not asleep when you get back," he added. I nodded, and watched as he went down the corridor before giving the password and entered the passage.

When I came up from the manhole, I was stung by biting wind. It was almost December and the weather was getting colder as the days passed. After I replaced the manhole cover, I stuffed my hands in my pockets and began the short walk to the Three Broomsticks. When I opened the door and felt the rush of warm air envelope me, I was thankful the place was open all night on weekends.

"Hello there, Mr. Weasley," Madame Rosmerta greeted slowly and I approached the bar.

"Hello Madame," I returned the greeting, smiling.

"Might I ask what you're doing here so late?" she inquired with raised eyebrows, but a smile nonetheless.

"Well, the Yule Ball's just ended, so I thought I'd skip down and get a couple butterbeers for my brother and myself," I said casually.

"I see… And does Dumbledore know?"

"I don't think he would object, seeing as I'm only getting some drinks, then going straight back to the castle," I said innocently, and smiled. Madame Rosmerta looked at me for a long moment before sighing.

"Alright, but I'll be expecting a note from Dumbledore next time," she said, giving in.

"Of course, Ma'am."

"Two butterbeers then?"

"Yeah. Have I still got money on my tab thing?" I asked. (Over the summer after the Diagon Alley trip, Mum took us all to Hogsmeade for drinks. While there, I gave Rosmerta five galleons for anytime during the year that I came short on money).

"Yes. Three galleons and five sickles, I believe," she told me.

"Brilliant," I grinned. "I don't suppose I could get a bit of fire whiskey as well?"

"Don't push your luck," she laughed.

"Worth a try I suppose." Rosemerta snorted and placed two bottles of butterbeer on the bar. She waved her wand over them before pushing them toward me. At my puzzled look, she said,

"A charm to keep them warm on your way back to the castle."

"Brilliant. Thanks!"

"You're welcome."

I stepped out of the warm building and into the cold outdoors with a bottle in each hand to keep my hands warm.

When I stepped through the portrait hole, something sounded off. There was a lot of scuffling, and the occasional gasp. It didn't sound quite right to me, but I wasn't sure what it was. There was suddenly a loud echoing bang behind me, and I realized it was the portrait slamming shut behind me.

"George! George?" Someone called to me, before yelping. It sounded like Fred.

"Fred?" I called back. "Fred, is that you?"

"George!" The fear in his voice was unmistakable, followed by an agonizing yell of pain. The butterbeers fell from my hand and shattered on the ground, and I sprinted down the hall, skidding around the corner.

There he was. Fred had been cornered by four students by a suit of armor and they were beating the living hell out of him. He struggled, trying desperately to push them away, but they just punched, kicked, and shoved harder. Now that I was closer I could hear them saying things.

"Disgusting."

"Brother-Lover."

"Dirty faggot."

"Oy! Get the fuck away from him!" I yelled viciously. One of the boys turned around to face me.

"Look who it is; the other half," he growled. "Come to shag him?"

"Leave him alone," I yelled. "Get away!"

"Why don't you come over her and make me?" he challenged. I moved quickly and grabbed him by the front of his dress robes, but with one swift and strong push, I was sprawled on the floor. Damn, he was strong.. I heard Fred yelp again; the other three were still at him.

"Andrews, Baulderston, Martin, McGinnley," Came a dark voice. Snape stood, arms crossed, not four feet away. "Ten points each from Hufflepuff and detention with me tomorrow morning. Back to your dorms, NOW." The Hufflepuffs didn't need to be told twice, and they hurried away. Snape didn't say anything to Fred or me, he just stalked off. As soon as everyone was gone, I scrambled up and rushed to Fred's side, kneeling beside him.

"Oh my god, Fred…" I whispered. "Are you alright?" I asked. He said nothing, just shook his head. He looked absolutely awful; his face was covered in blood. From what I could make out, the sources of most of the blood were his mouth, his nose, and a long gash on the left side of his face. He had a horrible black eye as well, and his hands were a little bloody. I leaned in to give him a light kiss to attempt to comfort him, but he flinched away. I didn't think anything of it, his mouth probably hurt, so I began checking around his head for any injuries. He had blood in his hair at the front, but it looked to be from his face because he had no head injuries that I could see. My hands moved to his shirt and I began to undo the buttons, two of which were missing. His whole body tensed up, and I told him to relax, that I was only assessing the damages. I undid all the buttons and moved his tie out of the way. I gasped; huge purple bruises were blooming across his chest. I quickly did his buttons back up. I looked up to his face and saw tears beginning to leak from his eyes, but his face showed no emotion.

That was the first time I had ever seen Fred cry, ever. I'd never even seen him cry when we were younger. Fred had always been the more emotionally stable one, facing problems with calmness and confidence. He never got into fights, because he never showed his anger, and he most certainly never cried. Mum said that's how she told us apart when we were babies, because I cried and Fred didn't. Mum also said Fred didn't even cry when he was born. There wasn't anything wrong with him, he just didn't cry.

Seeing him now, bleeding, broken, and tears streaming down his face, ripped my heart in half. I placed one of his arms around my shoulders and my arm around his waist to help him up. He winced.

"Let's get you cleaned up," I muttered.

When we reached the common room, we ignored all gasps, questions, and demands to know what happened and made a beeline for the showers. I turned the water to warm and gently pushed him inside and I climbed in with him, both of us fully dressed, shoes and all. The water ran red. I took two wash rags from the wire shelf in the back of the shower and handed one to Fred so he could wash his face, and I used the other ones to gingerly wash his free hand. I'm sure he could have done it just fine himself, but I wanted to help. Once I had cleaned his left hand, I examined it. The skin was broken is a couple places, and two of his fingernails were broken. I had him switch to cleaning his face with is now clean hand so I could work on the other one. His right hand was fine, just bloody.

When Fred was done with his face, he dropped the rag to the floor of the shower, and I followed suit. The cut on the side of his face was starting to close up, but it was still bleeding a little. For a long time, Fred just looked at me. Then, he leaned into me, buried his head in the crook of my neck, and began sobbing; heart-wrenching broken sobs. I just hugged him close and let him cry.

**A/N- There it is! I hope it was almost as good as the last one! (I say almost because I know the last one just can't be beat [not bragging! Juts saying!]). **

**To clear up any possible confusion, YES, everyone already knew Fred and George are GAY. When the Hufflepuffs were calling Fred a fag, they were just adding insult to injury, since there really aren't any derogatory ways to say "incest" let alone "twincest". "Brother-Lover" wasn't even that good. XD But anyway, that's that, just incase anyone was confused. Review please! **


	23. Losing It

**A/N- Oh. My God. I am SO SORRY That this took so long to update! I hit major writers block, then I had band camp which left me no time to write, and then I just started school so it's been busy. I really Hope you guys like this chapter, and again, I'm sorry it took so long. Thanks a million to ILoveSkeeve2251 for helping me with my writers block!**

Chapter 23- Losing It

Fred was disappointed in himself, I could tell; it was written all over his face the next morning at breakfast. The fear in his eyes had been replaced with resentment. Whether it was toward the Hufflepuffs or himself, I wasn't sure, but it was there. He drummed his fingers on the table, ignoring his food.

"It's seven in the morning. What's so important that it's causing you to concentrate in coherent thoughts?" I asked, hoping Fred would reply with a witty answer.

"I don't get it." Not the witty answer I was looking for. "I mean, how could I let my guard like that? Let myself be so… Vulnerable?" he squinted his eyes and continued drumming his fingers.

"Fred, come on, it was four against one," I reminded him. "Don't beat yourself up about it. The Hufflepuffs got it covered," I added, as a joke. Fred glared at me. "Too soon?" I asked. Glare. "Of course it's too soon. Just trying to lighten the mood…"

"If I smile for you will you drop the subject?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Only if you make it really convincing," I reasoned. He flashed me a quick, brilliant smile. "Wow, that _was_ convincing."

"But you aren't going to drop it are you?"

"Nope," I laughed. "What kind of brother would I be if-"

"Hey there, abominations of nature," smirked as couple of passing Hufflepuffs. They were both from the group that had jumped Fred. "I see you've managed to restrain yourselves while people are eating," The one on the left said. "How considerate, maybe you'll be spared."

"Real menacing coming from a couple of_ Hufflepuffs_," I snorted. "You're the house with no qualities. Brave Gryffindores, cunning Slytherins, intelligent Ravenclaws, and then… You guys," I smirked.

"Hey, you watch your mouth," the other one said threateningly. "You're next."

"I'm shaking," I deadpanned.

"Yeah, you will be," the one on the left muttered to me. I glared at them as they walked away.

"Don't go starting fights with them," Fred sighed. "It's not as fun as it looks, really." He cracked a genuine smile, finally. I smiled; there's the Fred I wanted to see. I picked up my goblet, preparing to take a sip of pumpkin juice when someone bumped me hard from behind and the goblet slipped from my grasp, splashing all over the table. A Hufflepuff I recognized from Potions smirked at me.

"What is up with all these Hufflepuffs?" I demanded to no one in particular. Across the table, Fred sighed. "Seriously…"

Once breakfast ended, we headed to potions. As we approached the dungeons, I tried slipping my arm around Fred's waist, but he moved away.

"You alright?" I asked.

"Fine. Just a bit sore is all," Fred replied casually. At that I tried holding his hand instead, but he hastily shoved is hands in his pockets. I gave him a confused sideways glance, but he just looked straight ahead as he walked. We entered Snape's class and seated ourselves near the back. Snape stood next to his desk, arms crossed, watching the class trickle in. When the last students were seated, he announced the day's potion.

"Today, we will be making Felix Felicis," he said in his deep, monotone voice. Everyone suddenly perked up, smiles making their way on to their faces. "And no, you will not be allowed to take any out with you. You will be thoroughly searched before you leave the room," he added, and there was a group "aaaw". Snape then waved his wand at the board. "The instructions are on the board. Go." With that, everyone set to work. I grabbed our ingredients and Fred added water to the cauldron and lit the fire.

"Er, ok, so it says to add four salamander eyes first, then the Belladonna," Fred said, squinting at the board. He dumped the ingredients in and began stirring clockwise. After three more ingredients, the potion turned indigo.

"You know, once you think about it, all these ingredients end up inside us when we drink the potion," I mentioned off hand. "Not to mention, a majority of the ingredients are revolting," I added. Fred paused in his stirring.

"You know, you're right… That's disgusting." He laughed, and continued stirring. I added the next ingredient, mint leaf, and the mixture turned sunshine yellow.

"All grossness aside, what color should this be?" I asked.

"It should turn gold with the last two ingredients, which are armadillo bile, and bat blood," he told me, and peered into the cauldron. Two Slytherins passed our table on the way to the ingredients cabinet.

"Then it just needs the last-" I didn't get the chance to say it just needed the last two ingredients and three counterclockwise stirs because the two Slytherins that had passed us before had passed us again, only this time they knocked over our cauldron, sending its contents splashing over our robes. Reflectively, I jumped out of my seat with my arms out to my sides. "What the hell!"

"Language, Weasley," Snape drawled, his lips twitching, threatening to twist into a smirk. The two Slytherins sat at their desk, sniggering.

"Don't they get some sort of punishment?" I asked angrily.

"I don't see why they would need one. It looked to be just… an accident," Snape said smugly. I huffed and sat back down. Fred hadn't moved at all; he just sat with a seething expression on his face. We began the potion again, but Fred seemed to be putting a lot less effort into it. I'll admit I was too. By the time class ended, it was a lot worse than it would have originally been.

We asked a person we knew would be in our next lesson to tell McGonagall we would be late because we had to change our clothes. Fred didn't say anything to or from our common room unless I said something first and even then his voice was very bitter.

"Don't let them bother you," I said eventually.

"It's difficult," he told me, rubbing his temple.

"I know, but they're just trying to get a rise out of us," I stated before stepping into the transfiguration classroom. That lesson went on successfully, as did Defense Against the Dark Arts, and Fred's mood began to lift. By the time we reached Charms, the last lesson of the day, Fred was laughing and joking like normal, which I was grateful for. Flitwick told us we would be practicing the jelly legs jinx. Fred and I partnered with each other, of course. The spell itself was easy, but the results were painful. Not the jelly-legs, but the part where you fall; every time I fell, I landed on my left elbow. About halfway through the lesson, my elbow was bruising.

Near the end of class, Fred and I were trying the jinx less and less frequently, just waiting for the class to be over. After several minutes passed I decided to do it again so it would look like we were actually doing something since Flitwick had looked over at us several times to see us doing nothing, I raised my wand, and just as the incantation left my lips I was shoved from behind, and I stumbled forward, my wand arm flying out to my right. I missed Fred completely and wound up hitting Flitwick. Under any other circumstances, it would have been hilarious, but I wasn't laughing. Flitwick cast the counter curse on himself and stood up, looking around to see who had done it. About half the room pointed at me. Four of them were Gryffindores.

"It was an accident!" I said quickly, defending myself. "Someone pushed me!"

"Everyone just be careful," Flitwick said to everyone as a general statement after a sigh. I ran my hand through my hair. The school was much less tolerant than I thought it would be. I was relived when class was finally over.

On the way down to dinner, Fred and I were bumped by countless numbers of people, which only worsened Fred's mood… Again. When we reached the Gryffindor table, we sat with Harry, Ron, and Ginny (Hermione was nowhere to be found). Ginny gasped when she saw Fred.

"Merlin, Fred, what happened?" she asked. I forgot she hadn't seen him this morning or last night.

"I got beat up," Fred said flatly. He absentmindedly moved his hand across his eye.

"By who?" Ginny asked. Fred didn't answer right away. "Fred?" He sighed and put his head in his hands.

"Some Hufflepuffs," He muttered. He was so quiet, I wouldn't have understood if I hadn't already known. Ginny just looked at him for a minute.

"Hufflepuffs?" she clarified.

"Yes," Fred sighed. I could tell Ginny really wanted to laugh, but didn't want to get Fred any more upset. I couldn't really blame her, I mean if it had been anyone else admitting that they had been beat up by Hufflepuffs, I would have laughed my ass off, but this was Fred, my twin.

"How could you let Hufflepuffs of all people do that to you? You're the strong one!" she said, exasperated. "No offense," she added, looking at me. I partially raised my hands, as if to say, 'none taken'.

"Ugh, I know! Don't remind me of my toughness, it only make it worse," Fred groaned.

"How did _you_ manage to get away uninjured?" Ginny asked me.

"I wasn't there. I… was at the Three Broomsticks getting us drinks," I said, rubbing the back of my neck. Suddenly I felt really guilty. "When I got back they were going at him. Luckily, Snape came around and told them to shove off."

"Yeah, for once, I was glad Snape was around," Fred said. "Those four were merciless, just beating the life out of me," he admitted, shaking his head.

"Well it's not your fault Fred," Ginny patted his shoulder. "As for George…" she raised an eyebrow.

"If I had been there it could have been prevented…" I muttered.

"Or you would have gotten your ass kicked too," Fred told me. "Don't worry, it's nothing either one of us could have stopped, I guess."

"Yeah, George, and I was just kidding," Ginny said quietly. "It probably would have happened anyway."

"I suppose…" I sighed, pushing my hair out of my face. Dinner continued quietly, for us anyway, and no one really said anything. The end of dinner came uneventfully, and Fred and I decided it was high time to retire to the common room. Fred and I moved to get up at the same time, and my knee hit his elbow.

"Oops, sorry, I kneed your elbow," I said, and maneuvered more carefully off the bench. I paused, processing what I had just said, and laughed. "Hehe, geddit, I _need_ your elbow?" I nudged him, grinning. He gave an amused smile. "Oh, wait! I _knead_ your elbow!" I laughed, and groped his elbow. That time he laughed right along with me. We left the Great Hall wandering with no particular destination in mind. After approximately six minutes of this, we found ourselves at the kitchens.

"How about we slip in there and grab some peach cobbler?" Fred inquired. "They didn't have it at dinner today."

"Yeah, let's do that," I said. I tickled the pear on the painting and it swung open. When we entered, the house elves swarmed us, bowing and asking if we wanted anything. We requested peach cobbler and tea, and they scattered back to their posts. Moments later, a few elves returned to us with our cobbler and tea. We thanked them and sat down.

"Wow," Fred said, looking down at his cobbler. "They drowned it in whipped cream."

"Is that bad?" I asked. "You love whipped cream. They know that."

"Well yeah, but this is a bit… much," he shrugged, his lips twitching, threatening to break into a smile. He continued to look at it for a moment before scooping some of it up into his hand and flinging it at me. I gasped, wide eyed, and brought my hand up to shield my face. I was too slow; the cream hit me full in the face. I wiped some of it out of my eyes and blinked a few times to make sure my vision wasn't marred,. I looked at Fred, who was now happily eating his cobbler. I chuckled, and scooped up my whipped cream and smeared it on his face. He dropped his fork and immediately began wiping off his face, grinning.

"Very mature, sinking to my level," Fred laughed.

"Of course, I can feel my maturity skyrocketing." I dragged him over to a sink to wash our faces. When we were clean and no longer sticky, we dried our skin and looked at each other. Glowing face, damp strands of hair, bright hazel eyes; _Beautiful_. I leaned forward and pressed a kiss to his lips, dropping my hands to his hips. Our lips only stayed connected for a few seconds before he pulled away, took a small step back, and stuffed his hands in his pockets. I raised my eyebrows and asked if he was ok.

"Yeah," he responded, smiling lightly. I shrugged and we returned to our cobbler. I didn't think he was ok, though. Every time I tried to touch him today, he wouldn't let me. He had been saying it was because he was sore, but I didn't think that was the case anymore.

Once we finished eating, we exited the kitchens to go back to the common room. There were still a good amount of students in the halls, just wandering around. We made it up to the fourth floor before we hit trouble. There were some students blocking our way to the stair case.

"'Scuse us," I said, and tried to get around them. They would move. "Excuse me," I said again, but they still stayed stationary.

"Where do you to think you're going?" One of them asked. It was a Slytherin. I looked at each of them, and noticed they were each from a different house; one Gryffindor, one Slytherin, one Ravenclaw, and one Hufflepuff.

"To our common room," Fred answered. "Is that a problem?" He asked angrily. The four students didn't answer. Then, they jumped at us. Things seemed to happen in slow motion, but at the same time they happened quickly. They pushed us around, jostling us. They tried to get a few hits in, but I dodged them. I pushed at the four, trying to get them off of us, but they kept at it. I felt Fred get pushed into me, but he fought right back, struggling as hard as he could. They were yelling at us, but all their words jumbled together into a mess that I couldn't make out. The Gryffindor tried to hit me, and I jumped back. I felt his fist skim my nose and my breath caught. Suddenly, Fred's voice powered over the rest.

"EVERYBODY SHUT THE FUCK UP!" he screamed. His hands clutched his hair, and he was breathing heavily. That was the last thing I heard him say. I looked around and the four students had scattered. Fred dropped his hands, and I noticed his face was bright red.

"Are you ok?" I asked him. He didn't say anything. "Fred, are you alright?" I asked again, but he still didn't answer, he just turned on his heel and stomped up the stairs. I followed him up all three flights to the seventh floor. He stopped in front of the portrait, but didn't give the password, so I did. As soon as it opened, he stumbled inside and went straight upstairs. No 'goodnight', no glance backwards, no… nothing.

**A/N- again, I am so sorry this took so long. Everything just got so busy and I didn't have any time to type this up. But it's here now!**

**By the way, the kneed/need/knead scene that's in here actually happened to me. XD While I was camping for my friend's birthday, I was getting up from the picnic table, and I bumped my brined Bre's (ILoveSkeeve2251) elbow with my knee, and we went through the kneed/need/knead thing and she said I had to use iot for this chapter. :D Speaking of her, I have to thank her for helping me with this chapter. I had major writers block at several points, and she helped me get things flowing again. :D So thanks!**

**Review pretty please! **


	24. Mute

**A/N- I know, I know, I'm a horrible person for not updating sooner. I'm sorry! I've just been really busy with school and Colorguard and whatnot, but anyway, here it is! Plus I lost the notebook that I wrote this chapter in, so I'm writing the second half from memory. Ugh. Hopefully it was worth the wait! **

Chapter 24: Mute

I woke up sore in the morning. Every part of my body hurt, like I was one big human bruise. I pushed the deep red blankets off me with a groan and stood up out of bed. A dull ache pounded through my body and I winced. I wondered why I was so sore; the kids yesterday didn't beat me up or anything, just pushed me around, and there was no Quidditch, so I hadn't been sore in a while. It was a familiar but unwelcome feeling. Maybe I had been tossing and turning in my sleep. Not because of a dream though, I hadn't had any dreams last night. I shook my head and pushed the distracting thoughts aside. I shuffled over to the chair by my bed where my freshly washed clothes were. About half way through me getting dressed, Fred woke up.

"Morning," I yawned. I didn't hear a response. "Morning," I said again, looking at Fred this time. He smiled and nodded. I knit my eyebrows as I buttoned my shirt and Fred slipped on his trousers. "You ok?" I asked. He nodded again, a content look on his face. I shrugged and tied my maroon and gold tie. We finished dressing in silence and stayed silent going down to breakfast. When we sat down, Hermione was the first to greet us good morning; everyone else's mouths were full. I said good morning back, but Fred didn't. No one seemed to notice. I tried holding hands with Fred under the table, but he quickly busied himself with a pitcher of milk. I sighed. Ever since that first run in with those stupid Hufflepuffs, Fred hadn't wanted to touch me at all. I tried leaning into him, but he leaned forward, hunching over his plate. I exhaled sharply, but didn't try to touch him again.

"So Hermione," I looked at her, deciding to go on to a different subject. "How come you weren't at dinner last night?" asked, trying to make myself sound naturally curious.

"In the library," she said, not looking up from her food. She was blushing.

"Why the bloody hell are you blushing?" I asked, laughing.

"I'm not!" Hermione exclaimed, moving her hand across her cheeks as if she could wipe the red away.

"Yeah, you are!" I laughed harder. "Isn't she Fred?" Fred nodded, smirking. Hermione rolled her eyes, but looked like she was fighting a smile. Harry and Ron then began badgering her about it, which only irritated her. I ended up spending the rest of breakfast listening to Hermione deny various accusations. It was quite amusing, seeing her blush deeper and deeper red with each accusation, which were getting more and more scandalous.

"Ron!" Hermione cried, cheeks practically aflame after a particularly dirty one. She quickly gathered her things and stalked out of the Great Hall. I waited for Fred to make some sort of snide comment, like he usually would, but he didn't. He remained quiet as ever, laughing soundlessly. I huffed, and grabbed Fred's wrist, pulling him out of his seat. He struggled as I dragged him out the door and into the corridor, but I didn't let go.

"Are you ok?" I asked. He nodded. "Is your throat sore?" He shook his head. "Then why aren't you talking?" I asked incredulously. No response, not even a shrug. I groaned in frustration and rubbed my face with my palms. "Are you going to talk at all today?" I asked hopefully. Still nothing. The chimey bell then echoed through the castle; time for the first lesson. I headed off for the astronomy tower and heard Fred's footsteps following me. All we did in that lesson was locate constellations on a star map, After that, we went to potions. The potion we were to make was veruteserum, and once again, we were not to take any out of class with us, and would be searched on the way out. I began preparing the cauldron when Fred dumped the ingredients in front of us. We set to work immediately, reading instructions out of the book this time. About halfway through class, Snape stopped at our table and peered into our cauldron. He proceeded to then go on about how dreadful we were doing, not taking it into account that we were only halfway through class, and therefore only half done with the potion. He went on and on and I copied Fred's silence and just continued working on the potion. He went on for a good fifteen minutes before he noticed that we had stopped working. He looked into the cauldron again, and saw the clear, water-like substance. He scowled and walked off to criticize someone else.

When lunch rolled around, I plopped myself down across from Hermione, Ron, and Harry, and next to Fred. I dropped my head onto my empty plate. A headache had formed during potions and only worsened through History of Magic.

"You alright, George?" Hermione asked.

"Yeah, just a headache," I replied, sighing.

"Did you have potions and History of Magic this morning?" she asked, and I nodded. "Yeah, that'll do it."

"Merlin, you should have heard Snape," I groaned, rubbing my pounding temples. "He was going on and on insulting Fred and I."

"Really? Why?" Hermione asked, frowning.

"Who knows, but his voice was agonizing. It felt like he was ripping my ovaries out through my belly button."

"What?" Hermione looked scandalized, and Fred spit out a mouthful of soup, cracking up, but making no sound.

"You don't have ovaries!" Hermione whisper-yelled, laughing.

"Oh really?" I stood up. "When's the last time you checked? Would you like to check?" I pushed my robes aside and began undoing my belt. I was unzipping my pants when she started screaming that she believed me. I laughed and began doing up my pants. When I sat back down , Hermione's face was bright red and Fred was quietly shaking with laughter.

"Why isn't he making any noise when he laughs?" Hermione asked quietly.

"Dunno, he hasn't made a sound all day," I told her.

"Did he lose his voice?"

"Dunno, he's not giving any clues as to why he's not talking." Fred's face hardened, apparently not liking being talked about like he wasn't in the room. He looked like he wanted to answer himself, but of course, that would defeat whatever purpose he had for not speaking in the first place.

Lunch ended peacefully, and everyone began making their way to their next lesson. I was walking toward the charms classroom when I realized something; The rest of our lessons required our wands, which mean speaking was a must. Charms, Transfiguration, and DADA. I smirked at this thought; it meant that Fred would have to talk. I glanced at his face. He didn't seem at all worried. Either he had forgotten this crucial fact, or he simply didn't care. I'm sure it was the latter, neither of us have ever cared for our lessons.

We entered the classroom and sat down. Flitwick stood at the center of the room, looking around and waiting for everyone to be present. Once everyone was there, he announced that we would begin our practice of non-verbal spells. I just about died. Fred had majorly lucked out; beginning non-verbal spells the day he decides to up and stop talking. Fred wore a smug grin, as if he had planned this. Flitwick told us we would be starting with basic spells today, and progressing through everything we have learned as the days go on. He instructed us to start with '_wingardium leviosa'_ first, then go on to _'aguamenti', 'incendio', 'engorgio', _and_ 'reducio'._ Various objects appeared in front of us to use for our spell-casting, and everyone set to it. It was quite amusing to see so many sixth years struggling with the simplest spells. Yes, they were to be performed non-verbally, but how hard could that be? I pointed my wand at a feather, and thought _'wingardium leviosa'_ with all my might. The feather didn't move. I tried again, thinking harder, and still no movement. I felt quite silly.

"Fantastic, Mr. Weasley!" Flitwick cried. I looked to my left, because I knew he couldn't be talking about me. Fred had apparently already mastered levitation, because he was already filling a water goblet with water. I huffed, and turned back to my feather. I screamed the incantation in my head, and finally got the feather to twitch. After three more tried, it was in the air. I immediately moved on to the next charm.

As I went along, I got better, but I was still always at least one behind Fred, which was unusual, because we were always equally good or bad at things.

We went on to our next classes, and lone behold, they had begun non-verbal spells as well. Things couldn't possibly get better for Fred. Figuratively of course, seeing as there has to be some kind of issue as far as his persistent silence.

We dropped our things off in the common room, and Ran into Hermione on the way in.

"Hey there Hermione," I greeted her.

"Oh! Hello, George, Fred," she smiled, and moved to leave the common room.

"Hey now, where exactly are you going?" asked playfully. Hermione's cheeks burned red. She tried to hide it with her hair, but I could still see the blush rapidly spreading across her face.

"Just to the library," she muttered.

"I suppose we won't be seeing you at dinner again, then?" I asked, eyebrows raised. Hermione shook her head slowly, still blushing. "You know, Hermione dear, that if you continue to be absent from meals, people will suspect that you're up to something. Perhaps, something that Harry and Ron mentioned…" I said, referring to yesterday. Hermione rolled her eyes and shoved past me, embarrassment replaced with annoyance. I laughed.

Hermione was absent from dinner, just as she said she would be. Ron asked about this when he joined us, along with Harry, Ginny, and Draco (sitting at other house tables was not against the rules, but didn't happen often). We told them about how we talked to her as she was heading off to the library.

"She didn't tell you what she's doing there?" Ron asked.

"She's probably studying," Draco said. "She _is_ a bookworm after all."

"I already pointed that out yesterday," Ginny told him, "But they seem to think that she's doing something… Provocative."

"Hey now, we never came to an official conclusion that she's doing anything provocative, just that its very likely," I grinned.

"I hope she is," Draco mused. "It would do her good to have some fun." I nodded my agreement. I turned to Harry.

"So, Harry, any luck on that egg yet? The second task is coming up fast," I commented.

"Nothing yet," he reported, "But I was talking to Cedric earlier, and he suggested I go to the prefects bathroom and take a bath with it…" he said slowly. I looked at him blankly.

"Are you actually going to?" I asked.

"I'm desperate, I'm willing to do anything at this point," Harry sighed. I laughed, imagining Harry taking a relaxing bubble bath with the egg screaming beside him. It was a comical image to play in my head.

"Mind if I join you?" Draco asked?"

"Feel free," Harry said, winking. Ginny looked as though she had just died a little inside, and I began laughing harder, adding Draco giving Harry an underwater blowjob to the image in my head. They all gave me weird looks, particularly Draco and Fred, but I just grinned and shook my head.

O*O*O*O*O*O*O*

Harry had long since gone off to bathe with his clue, and Draco had gone off to his own common room. It was nine-thirty at night, and Fred and I were in the common room staring at each other. The only other person in the room was a brown-haired first year girl doing her homework at a corner table. Im unsure of how we ended up just staring at each other, but I remember coming in, sitting down, and telling him how lucky he was that we began non-verbal spells today. Then suddenly I was thinking of everything that had happened and now we were just looking at each other. Fred looked uncomfortable, and I didn't really feel anything. The first year had stood from her seat and headed off in the direction of the bathrooms.

"Why aren't you talking?" I asked for the umpteenth time that day. He didn't say anything, of course, and didn't give me any body language. "Is it me?" He shook his head. "Then what is it?" He shrugged this time. I rolled my eyes. "I give you till the end of the week before you start talking again," I said, smirking. Fred smiled and shook his head. I quickly grabbed his hand, just holding it. His smile quickly faded. He gently pulled his hand away. "What is up with you and the touching thing?" I asked angrily. "You never let me touch you anymore." I stood up, and Fred reactively followed suit. "Do you love me?" I asked. He nodded without hesitation. "Then kiss me," I demanded. He made no movement to do so, so I leaned in and placed my hands on his shoulders. I was inches away when he violently yanked himself out of my grip. I stumbled forward a few feet. Fred walked backwards over to the table and ripped the corner off of the parchment the girl had been writing on, and scribbled something. He handed it to me before looking at me apologetically and going upstairs. I sighed and looked at the parchment.

_I'm sorry._

**A/N- Once again, I am sooooooo sorry about the extremely delayed update. Please don't hate me! I hope you guys haven't given up on me. **

**So let me explain this silence thing… If you don't want to see the explanation, then read no further! What's happening is something called selective muteness. All the crap that the students have been giving Fred and George has built up, and Fred finally snapped. He decided that in order to cope, he would just stop talking altogether. For more info on selective muteness, talk to ILoveSkeeve2251, because she helped me come up with the idea. XD**

**Review guys! Please! :D**arry taking a relaxing bubblebath with Har


	25. Some Bloke Named Finnick

**A/N- So, here's chapter 25. I'm not sure how I feel about this chapter. I mean, Its not bad, but I dunno if its good. Anyway, whatever. XD Here ya go!**

Chapter 25- Some Bloke Named Finnick

Day two of Fred not talking. I thought briefly about giving him the silent treatment for not kissing me the night before, but immediately decided against it; there had to be _some_ communication between us. I didn't want a repeat of the two-weeks-of-not-talking thing. Speaking of which, Jilani asked me that morning what was wrong with Fred. News travels fast, apparently. I blame Ron. I told Jilani I wasn't sure why Fred wasn't talking, and quickly walked away before he could ask me anything else. Or shove his hand down my pants.

At breakfast and lunch, I made sure to pester Hermione about her absence yesterday from dinner. I can see where Ginny and Draco were coming from in thinking she was just studying, but she was never embarrassed about her frequent study habits before, why would she be now?

Non-verbal spells were continued. We passed basics and went on to other necessary charms. Fred flew through, getting almost all of them on the first try. I don't know if maybe he was doing so well because he had no temptation to whisper the incantations aloud, or if some magical force had enhanced his abilities, but if this continued, he would rapidly be earning the title of the best in the class, which disappointed me. It was one thing to be academically _good_, but to be academically the _best_… that was no place for a Weasley twin. We had a reputation to uphold after all, even though most probably didn't care anymore.

In other news, Hermione was absent from dinner. Again.

"I think it's high time Fred and I began our investigation ," I commented at the table. Fred nodded in agreement.

"Guys, I don't see why you can't just leave her alone," Ginny sighed.

"Hey now, sis, do you know something we don't?" I asked teasingly. "This wouldn't be the first time…"

"N, I don't, but if you're right and she _is_ hiding something, she probably has a good reason," Ginny told us.

"Sorry Gin, but I'm with Fred and George on this one," Ron commented.

"You would be," Ginny snorted. "You're dying to know what she's up to, you're in love with her."

"What? No I'm not! That's ridiculous!"

"You're an awful liar. Everyone in this room knows you undress her in your mind every time you see her," Ginny smirked. As if helping prove her point, everyone in earshot nodded, and Ron's ears turned so red I'm pretty sure the temperature in the room rose a few degrees.

"Hey, Harry, can we borrow the map?" I asked. "In case Hermione isn't really in the library."

"Yeah, it's in my trunk," Harry said.

"Wicked. Let's go!" I nudged Fred with my elbow. Fred and I exited the Great Hall and went straight to the common room and up to Harry's dorm. "How do we know which trunk is his?" I asked, looking around at all the clutter. He shrugged and we began looking at all the trunks. Fred found it quickly and snapped to get my attention. He pointed to the "H.P" carved into the side of the trunk. I gave him a thumb up and he opened it. He began rifling through it and I joined him, seeing the golden egg inside. "We'll have to ask Harry about his bath with the egg later," I reminded Fred. He nodded, smirking, before pulling out the map. He opened it up and I tapped it with my wand. "I solemnly swear that I'm up to no good."

After a moment of scanning the map, we discovered that Hermione was, in fact, in the library, and she was accompanied by two other people. One of them was Viktor Krum, and the other was someone named Finnick. I looked at Fred, grinning. Next stop: Hermione.

When we got to the library, we stepped lightly and made as little noise as possible. We heard hushed voices near the back so we moved along the bookshelves to where they were. If we got down on our knees, we could see through the slight gap in the bookshelves and clearly see the three of them. That Finnick guy was obviously a Durmstrang boy. All three of them were whispering, but I could sort of make out what they were saying. Hermione was flirting it up with Viktor, but he would always take her compliments and try to relate them to Finnick.

"Krum is trying to set Hermione on to Finnick!" I whispered to Fred. He smirked and gave me a look that said "Sucks for Hermione, but good ammo for us". I nodded. "Too true."

"You were great in the first task… I'm sure you'll do fantastic in the second task," Hermione said to Krum, grinning like an idiot.

"I don't know about… the dragon nearly killed me. Finnick here has done many more dangerous things. He vould have taken that dragon easy," Krum said, motioning to Finnick, who was trying to look modest.

Finn was actually a fairly good looking bloke, for a Bulgarian. His hair was so short it was nearly shaved, but you could tell it was dark brown. He had dark eyes and a slim frame, and he was fairly tall. He and Hermione would actually look good standing next to each other.

Despite Krum's attempts to push Hermione onto Finnick, she wasn't biting. She only had googly eyes for Krum. I snickered and motioned for Fred to follow me out of the library. Once we were a safe distance away from the library, I burst into laughter.

"Merlin, it's like he's trying to get rid of her!" I said through gasps of laughter. Fred was bursting at the seams, both hands pressed over his mouth to keep the laughter inside. "I can't wait to tell the others…" I said mostly to myself. Fred nodded and we wandered back to the Great Hall to tell about what we had seen, and more importantly, eat.

"Mission accomplished," I said, and sat down with Fred in our original spot. We filled our plates as we conversed.

"So were Draco and I right?" Ginny asked, looking quite confident.

"No," I told her bluntly. "You actually couldn't have been more wrong," I added, just to piss her off. She squinted her eyes at me, and returned to her corn. "She _has_ been in the library, but not studying. She's been with one Viktor Krum, and some bloke named Finnick."

"Who the bloody hell is Finnick, and why has Hermione been with him so much?" Ron asked angrily. I took that to be a rhetorical question.

"Now, now Ronnie," I tsked. "It wasn't just Finnick… It was also Krum." This only made him madder.

"What were they doing?" he practically shouted.

"Having a threesome," I said seriously. "It was pretty hot. All three of them, stark naked, getting it on in the restricted section."

Ron turned pale white. "I-is that true?" he asked Fred. Fred nodded, looking very sympathetic.

"Why the hell are you trusting his answer?" I asked, cracking up.

"Is it true or not?" Ron demanded.

"Would I lie to you, little brother?"I asked, eyes wide, hand over my heart. Ron glared at me, his eye twitching. "Good point. No, they were not having a sexy threesome. They were just sitting around. Hermione was flirting madly with Krum, and he was trying to turn her onto that Finnick bloke," I told him honestly. Ron took a breath of relief, but still looked disappointed.

"What's he look like?" he inquired.

"Oh, he's pretty good looking. Long, tan, and handsome, if you will." Ron groaned and dropped his head onto the table. Fred patted the back of his head.

O*O*O*O*O*O*

Enter day three of Fred not talking, and he's not showing any signs of letting up. Hmmm… Maybe he _would_ make it past the end of the week.

I sat down across from Hermione in the morning. I didn't say a word, I just grinned. She tried to ignore me for a while, but finally she slammed down her fork and looked at me. I am quite hard to ignore, after all. It's my devastatingly good looks, I'm sure of it.

"What do you want, George?" she asked irritably.

"Nothing," I said, still grinning. She sighed and crossed her arms over her chest, staring at me. I just grinned bigger.

"Ugh!" She jumped up, grabbed her books and bag, and stormed away. I laughed.

"Oh, Merlin, I love making her mad," I stated happily. Fred high-fived me. I was eager for the day he started talking again, so that I could see him walk up to Hermione and say everything he would have said to her before.

Speaking of Fred… Merlin, he looked really good today. His skin was paler than usual, but it was a good pale; it made it look like he was glowing. His hair was half in his face, covering his sparkly hazel eyes. His sweater was in a ball at his side and he had opted not to wear robes today, so he was in just a shirt and tie, which I found to be very sexy. He was grinning as he listened to Seamus talking about something. He has such a beautiful smile. I smiled into my spoon, but it wasn't the same. Maybe that's just because I know I'm not him. All he needed to do now was talk; the voice would complete him. I sighed.

It was only the third day of his silence, but everyone seemed to be already used to it. Beyond that, they seemed unconcerned. I wasn't showing it, but it really worried me. I still wanted to know _why_ exactly he wasn't talking, but I knew I'd have to wait until he stared again to find out.

"…didn't take it. She told me, 'because I'm Irish' is no excuse." A snippet of Seamus' story found its way into my ears, and I laughed along with everyone else.

When Seamus finished his story, leaving everyone buzzing and laughing, I turned to Harry.

"I forgot to ask… How was that bath with the egg?" I asked.

Harry smiled a little. "I made some progress. When I opened it under water, it played a song. I think it was the merpeople in the Black Lake."

"There are merpeople in the Black Lake?" I asked, perplexed.

"Yeah. But anyway, I'm still not quite sure what the song means, but I've still got about a week until the second task, so I've got time to figure it out."

"Do Ron and Hermione know?" I whispered, since Ron was near.

"Ron does, but not Hermione," Harry replied in normal tone.

"Understandable," I said, and nodded. I began pulling a jug of milk toward myself to pour some, but I quickly let go of it when someone grabbed me by the collar of my shirt. I was yanked completely off the bench and my head hit the ground hard. I gasped and cradled my head, eyes shut in pain. The mystery person had done the same to Fred and I heard several people gasp our names. I heard something bump the table, and opened my eyes in time to see Fred hit the ground, and the milk jug crash to the ground, missing his head by inches. Fear flashed across his eyes. The milk splashed out and soaked Fred's left side and my right sleeve. Fred pushed himself up, slipping a little, and held put a hand to help me up. I accepted, and he pulled me up. The sudden movement made me light headed, and my head throbbed. I closed my eyes for a minute. When I opened them, I was looking at Fred's shirt. The wet side clung to him and I could see his skin through it. I would be lying if I told you I didn't get hard, I mean it was like a straight guy's wet tee-shirt contest fantasy for me.

"Oh my God, Fred, George, are you ok?" Ginny asked. Her hands were clapped over her mouth in shock. My hand still covered the throbbing part of my head where a bump was rapidly forming.

"I'm so damn sick of this," I muttered.

**A/N- So there it is. I hope you liked it, and are proud of me for updating faster! XD It's a bit short, but I think it came out ok. **** Review please!**


	26. Morning, Wood

**A/N- Oh laptop, sweet laptop… How I've missed you. XD Sorry for the wait, but here's the chapter! Enjoy!**

Chapter 26: Morning, Wood!

Oh Merlin, my head hurt. The pain had spread out to my entire head and it was agonizing. My eyes were watering and I was pacing the dorm, willing the throbbing to go away. Fred was sitting on his bed, watching me. He had discarded his wet shirt and didn't bother putting on another one since neither of us planned on going to Charms.

"I can't wait until the holiday, then we'll have two weeks of not having to deal with this," I said through gritted teeth. Fred nodded. We only had two weeks until the Holidays, then we could go home for two weeks. I didn't say anything else, I just rubbed the back of my head in hopes of making it stop hurting. My eyes fell on Fred. He was looking at me with an odd expression on his face, like he was deciding something. He motioned for me to go over to him. I obliged, and sat down next to him on his bed. He smiled at me and began playing with my hair. I chuckled. "What are you doing?" I inquired. He shook his head, pursed his lips, and began playing with my tie next. I knit my eyebrows, an amused smile on my face. He moved to my shoulder, and gripped the fabric of my sleeve. Then, he pulled me toward him.

And he kissed me. And I kissed him back. And when we pulled back, he hugged me. And that hug contained too much raw emotion for me to even begin to comprehend. And I just about died.

"_I love you," _he mouthed. I like to think he just whispered it really quietly.

"I love you too," I replied. I didn't ask any of the questions burning in the back of my mind. I knew it would ruin this God-given moment. He just looked at me, amused.

O*O*O*O*O*O*

Fast forward to the next day, day four. My head no longer hurt, but there was a decent sized lump on the back of my head. Damn floor, being all hard and whatnot. Anyway, that morning at breakfast when the mail came swooping in, as per usual, a large tawny owl settled itself between Fred and I, a scroll tied to its leg.

"Well hello there," I said to the owl as I untied the scroll. "You're too big to be Pig, and too smart to be Errol… Who could you be?" Once the owl was free of its burden, it took off. I unrolled the scroll. It was addressed to both Fred and I, and written in freakishly neat writing. I held it between us so we could both read it.

_**Dear Fred and George, **_

_**I haven't seen the two of you since Quidditch finals last year, so I figured I'd drop in to see you. Angelina told me that tomorrow is a Hogsmeade weekend, so why don't we meet up at the Three Broomsticks at one o'clock? Tell Angelina, Katie, Alicia and Harry too. Hope to see you lot there.**_

_**Sincerely,**_

_** Oliver Wood**_

I raised my eyebrows upon reading the letter. Wood had some scary neat handwriting for a bloke.

I was skeptical about accepting his invitation. He had been off doing professional Quidditch training (not that he needed it) and Merlin only knows that he would be back and big-headed as ever. Then again, it would probably be a good time. Wood was of age, which meant he could buy firewhiskey, and that would, of course, lead to a good afternoon. I'd seen Wood when he was drunk. I don't quite remember too many of the instances, since I was just as drunk as he was each of those times, but I remember he's ten times cooler when he's Plastered. I looked to Fred for his input. He shrugged and gave me a look that said "why not?" With that, I relayed the information to Harry, who was across from me, and shouted it to Angelina, Alicia, and Katie, who were at the other end of the table.

First lesson of the day was Charms. We entered the classroom and were immediately put to doing "_Avifors_" non-verbally. Fred of course was the first to do it correctly, his thread spools successfully becoming small yellow finches. Once done, he immediately used "_Finite Incantatum_" to return the finches to spools before repeating the process. It seemed effortless on his part. A good half of the class had come to class prepared with Spell-O-Tape over their mouths to keep themselves from talking. I didn't really see why people were so tempted to talk. Doing spells non-verbally was easier because you didn't have to bother opening your mouth, and it gave you a split-second advantage in combat.

Eventually Flitwick told Fred he could take a break because he was doing so well, and muttered something about Hermione becoming contagious... I took the liberty of telling myself I could stop as well since I was able to do it most times I tried. We looked around the room. There were several people who were doing fairly well (Angelina and some Ravenclaws), and some who were doing… well, piss poor (Lee and Jilani).I was tempted to go tease Lee, but Jilani was too close to him for me to want to risk it. So I just sat back and watched.

History of Magic held no interest, as usual, and we had a quiet day in Potions, studying the properties of moonstone. Of course we had a twelve inch essay to do over the weekend. Soon enough, the day threw us into the last lesson of the day, Transfiguration.

"Good afternoon, students," McGonagall addressed us formally. "It has finally come to the point in the curriculum where it's time to teach the more serious transfigurations. As much as it pains me to say," McGonagall looked pointedly at me and Fred, "It's time to learn about Animangus Transformations." An audible gasp arose from the room. I glanced at Fred, who was grinning madly. "We will not be attempting any actual transformations in this class, but we will be heavily studying how to do so." My face fell when she said we wouldn't be transforming in class, but hey, she never said we couldn't do it _outside_ of class.

The first thing McGonagall had to say on the matter was that an Animangus is not related to a Metamorphmangus. She said a Metamorphmangus can morph single features, but Animangi morph completely, not to mention that no one is _born _an Animangus (Metamorphmangi are born into it), you study up and learn to become one. Apparently it's quite difficult to do, which I believe, otherwise everyone would be one. At the end of class, McGonagall gave us all little hand-outs about Animangus transformation. I folded mine up and put it in my back pocket.

"What are you thinking?" Lee asked as he fitted himself in between Fred and I after we left the class. I smiled. Well… I think 'smirked', would be a better description. I unintentionally smirked. "I know that look, c'mon, whatcha thinking?"

"Exactly what you think I'm thinking," I said merrily.

"I take it you'll be in the library then?"

"Yes, my dear sir. Yes we will," I said, sharing a devious look with Fred.

"Have fun with that then," Lee laughed.

"Oh I intend to," I said, giving him the widest grin I could manage. Lee shook his head, chuckling, and headed up the stairs to the fourth floor.

We entered the library and began walking back toward the bookshelves when something, or rather, _someone_, caught my eye; A head of bushy brown hair, indicating that Hermione was present. Hmmm… She was early today. Interesting. She was sitting by herself at a table. She didn't have any homework or books to read. She was just sitting there. Temptation overcame me and I pulled Fred along as I approached the table. I plopped down across from Hermione, Fred following suit. I know we startled her because she jumped, and her eyes bugged out.

"George! Fred! What are you doing here? In a library? Are you following me?" she asked manically. Er, can you say 'paranoid'?

I noticed that she switched our names. People always call us 'Fred and George', in that order. It's alphabetical I suppose, but Hermione switched it. It sounded strange. I'm guessing she did it because I've been doing all the talking, but even so, I didn't like it. I felt like I was stealing something from Fred, even though I wasn't even the one to say it. It was unintentional, I'm sure, but it kind of hurt.

"Oh Granger, why do you always assume we're up to something?" I asked, innocently.

"Because you're _always_ up to something," she replied flatly.

"Well not today, my dear girl. Today, we're here to study."

"I highly doubt that."

"I know, I know, it's hard to believe. Fred and I willingly stepping foot in a library, to study, of all things. But it's true, I assure you. We are here to study Animangus transformation," I said smartly.

"Oh, really?" Hermione raised an eyebrow in surprise. "Are you planning to become one?"

"Dunno. Depends on what we read, I suppose," I shrugged.

"Well have fun then," Hermione said. Before I could tell her I planned to have lots of fun, Krum and that Finnick bloke sauntered up to the table. I will admit, Finnick is better looking up close.

"Well hello there," I said in a deep manly American accent. "How are you on this fine afternoon?"

After looking at me strangely for about seven seconds, Finnick said, "Hermi-no-ny, who is this ginger?"

"That's just George," Hermione said in a tired voice, rubbing her forehead.

"Oh Merlin, there's another one…" Krum eyed us suspiciously.

"That's Fred, George's twin," Hermione explained. "They were just leaving to study up on something," she added through gritted teeth.

I smirked. "Oh no, no. I'd much rather stay and talk with you three," I said, grinning widely at Hermione, who looked ready to punch me.

"And I would much rather you fell off the Astronomy tower," she whispered viciously. "Go!"

"Just out of curiosity, is this why you haven't been showing up to dinner?" I asked, feigning sincerity. Hermione's cheeks flamed red and she gave me the ultimate death glare.

"Go. Away. Now!" Her eye was now twitching. I ignored her and turned my attention to Finn.

"Finnick, is it?" I asked, knowing full well it was. Finnick nodded slowly. "Right, well, I'm not sure Hermione likes you much. Seems to me she's enthralled with Viktor over here. But she's easily persuadable, so you should have no trouble," I said, and patted him on the shoulder. Fred and I made to get on with our studying, but Hermione's death glare told me she didn't even want to be on the same floor as me, so we left her to whatever she was doing.

Hermione was actually present at dinner. That's probably why she was in the library early. She didn't sit with Fred, Ron, Harry, Ginny, and I as usual though. She pointedly gave me the stink eye, then sat at the end of the table with Neville, Dean, and Seamus.

Draco was sitting with us today too. On Harry's lap. Pointedly wiggling around. It was a lovely sight to have right in front of me while I was eating.

"So, Harry, the second task is coming up in less than a week. You ready, mate?" I asked. Harry shrugged indifferently.

"C'mon mate, you got this," Ron patted his shoulder. "You're gonna get first place, then just one task left after that."

"You're making it sould like the easiest thing in the world, Ron," Harry sighed. Ron shrugged.

"Just trying to give you some support," he said.

"Which I appreciate," Harry said, and smiled weakly. Draco slid his arm around Harry's shoulders and gave him a reassuring squeeze.

After dinner, we all ambled out of the Great Hall, doing our best not to be trampled by everyone.

"You coming Harry?" I asked, referring to going up to the common room.

"Nah, I'm gonna spend a few hours with Draco," he said.

"He owes me, since he's going to be off with you two tomorrow at Hogsmeade," Draco pointed out.

"Fair enough," I said. "See you later, Harry, Draco." I was hoping that I would be able to harass Hermione, but of course she was headed back to the library. I'll get her… Later.

O*O*O*O*O*O*

"Where the bloody hell is my left shoe?"

I searched around the entire dorm, twice, but I couldn't find my shoe. We had ten minutes until everyone left for Hogsmeade, and Fred and I were dangerously close to missing because I couldn't find my ever elusive shoe. Sure, we could just go through one of the passages if we were late, but of course, it would seem we were up to something, and if we were lucky, Snape would catch us. After a few more minutes of searching, with the help of Fred, I found it wedged between two books on the dusty bookshelf that no one ever uses. Clever, clever shoe, hiding where I wouldn't think to look. "How the hell did it get there?" I asked myself. I shook my head and put the shoe on. After booking it to the Entrance Hall, we left with the rest of the students to Hogsmeade.

We had some time to kill before one, so we browsed Zonko's for a bit.

When one o'clock came, we headed to the Three Broomsticks, meeting up with Harry, Angelina, Katie, and Alicia. We all entered, and immediately saw Wood. He was sitting at a big square table waiting for us. He had even ordered us butterbeers already. What a guy. Fred and I sat across from him, Harry and Alicia sat next to him, and Angelina and Katie sat of the two empty sides of the table.

"Morning, Wood," I greeted once we were all settled in.

"It's afternoon, actually," Wood corrected me.

"I know," I smirked. He rolled his eyes at my innuendo, along with the females of our little group. Harry and Fred grinned.

"Immature as ever I see," Wood said, but smiled nonetheless.

"But of course. What kind of Weasley would I be if I was mah-too-er?" Everyone laughed, though I think it was more of a snort coming from the girls.\

"Touché," Wood laughed, "How've you all been?" A chorus of good's and great's arose from us, minus Fred. Angelina launched into telling him about her academic achievements and how she might be head girl next year. I stifled my yawn. Katie and Alicia talked about the Yule Ball, using words like "Glamorous", "Beautiful", and "Magical", but slyly leaving out the part about Fred and I. Harry talked briefly about the Tri-Wizard Tournament and the result of the first task, and the clue for the second task. I, of course, told the story of how Fred and I tried to enter, and talked about our trick wands. We ate up about two hours talking about all this, and each of us had drunk three more butterbeers, courtesy of our former Quidditch captain. I find it pretty wicked that you can drink for of those and end up only slightly tipsy.

Ginny approached us with a butterbeer in hand about five minutes after I finished telling my story.

"Hey," she said, and nodded her greeting to everyone. "What are you up to?"

"Just talking, sis," I said. "Come and sit with us." She obliged and pulled over a chair to sit next to Harry.

"So how's it going in Puddlemere?" Harry asked Wood.

"Pretty good so far," he replied happily.

"You play for Puddlemere United?" Ginny asked in awe. "They're really good."

"I'm only training with them right now, but if I'm lucky, I'll be their new Keeper starting next season," Wood explained.

"You must be really great," Ginny smiled. Oh, Merlin.

"No, Ginny, he's absolute rubbish," I deadpanned. "Of course he's great! He's bloody fantastic!"

Wood smiled. "I'm not really that fantastic," he said modestly. "Just because I was a great captain doesn't-"

"Woah woah woah, lets not push it…" I laughed. Wood rolled his eyes but laughed along.

"Fred, you haven't said a word," Wood pointed out. Ginny's face fell and I stopped laughing. "Are you alright?" he asked. Fred and I looked at each other.

"It's a long story," I said quietly.

"I've got time," he said, sitting back.

"Well we don't," Angelina mentioned. "Look, everyone is heading back." She was right; all the Hogwarsts students were filing back to the castle.

"Well go then, goody-two-shoes," I teased. "We'll be back later."

"You're going to get in trouble…" Katie said. I waved the notion away. She shrugged, and stood up and left with Angelina and Alicia. Once they were gone, Wood sat up.

"Right, now that they've gone, how about some Firewhiskey?" he asked, grinning. "The butterbeer isn't really doing it for me." Fred and I nodded, grinning madly. Wood called for Madame Rosemerta. She approached our table.

"What can I get you boys? And girl?" she added upon seeing Ginny.

"Three rounds of Firewhiskey shots, please," he requested. Rosemerta raised her eyebrows, and looked around the table.

"For each of you?" she inquired.

"Yes ma'am, on me," he assured her.

After a moment she said, "You lot are lucky _he_ is of age," with a bemused smile. With that, she went off to get our shots. She returned momentarily and placed three shots in front of each of us. We each downed a shot as soon as we all had them. The liquid seared my throat, but I liked it.

"Ugh, that's disgusting," Ginny said, her face bunched up in disgust. She gulped the last of her butterbeer to get the taste out of her mouth.

"Good, give them to me," I said. She passed them to me and I gave one to Fred. We drank the extra shots and placed our empty glasses together.

"Now tell me what's going on," Wood said. I sighed before launching into the story from the beginning. I told him what happened over summer, and a few details of school before the ball. Harry and Ginny added in some things here and there, and then, I told him about the Yule Ball. I paused in my storytelling so Wood could order us more shots. My words were beginning to slur together but it didn't bother me. I continued telling him about how Fred and I were dancing and we kissed at the end in front of everyone. A total of seven shots later, I think I was talking about Fred getting beat up. Ten shots later, I think I said something about the four kids ganging up on us. Twelve shots later, I don't know what the hell I was talking about. All I know is I was drunk and so was everyone else at the table, save for Ginny. I remember Wood saying something about a bed and some Ravenclaw girl from two years ago before it's a blank. I don't remember anything else.

The next thing I remember is waking up in the common room on the couch. Fred was nowhere to be seen, and Ginny was sitting on the floor next to the couch reading a book. There were several other people buzzing about, so I assumed it was the next morning. I sat up, and my head immediately began throbbing. I groaned and my stomach churned. I broke into a cold sweat and my breathing became shallow.

"Shit…" I muttered before leaning over the back of the couch and throwing up. A bystander vanished the mess, but it was pointless because I threw up two more times. Gasping for breath, I sat back down. Ginny looked up at me sympathetically.

"Some hangover you've got there," she said.

"Please, Ginny, no need to shout," I groaned.

"I wasn't shouting," Ginny said more quietly, and laughed.

"Ugh, I feel like rubbish," I said and rubbed my eyes.

"Why?" Ginny asked incredulously. I glared at her. "Well yeah, I know you're hurting, but you should be happy! Fred was talking last night!"

I stopped breathing for a minute. What? Fred was talking? When? I couldn't remember!

"What?" I nearly screamed.

"You don't remember?" Ginny asked.

"No! I don't fucking remember! I was fucking plastered last night, I don't remember anything!" I yelled. My hands tangled in my own hair. "I can't believe I can't remember him talking again… What did he say?"

"He said a lot of things…" Ginny tapped her chin. I smacked my forehead with my palm. Great. "He talked about how much he hated the Hufflepuffs, and about wishing there was Quidditch this year, and about you two having sex, and a million other things. But mostly about the two of you having sex. Poor Oliver. He didn't know what to say."

"I cant believe I cant remember…"

"And that's not all. You two started making out all over the table, and when Madame Rosmerta told you you'd had enough to drink, you threw an empty shot glass across the room, and Fred started singing some muggle song to the people at the table next to us. It was quite a scene."

I didn't know what to say. My face was blank, and I couldn't think clearly. Fred was talking last night, we _made out _last night, and I couldn't remember any of it.

Not a thing.

**A/N- Please, please, please, review this chapter. I think I did a really good job on this one, and I wanna know what you think. **


	27. It Speaks and Sings?

**A/N- So sorry this has taken so long to get out… had some writers block, but I managed to push past it to deliver this chapter. It's sort of just a filler chapter, but some important stuff happens, and things are discovered about certain people, so I guess you could say it's a… vital filler chapter? XD**

Chapter 27- It Speaks and… Sings?

"Where is he?" I asked Ginny.

"Fred? He's upstairs in the dorms. You're the only one who didn't go up. Probably for the best, anyway. You were so drunk you couldn't walk in a _zigzag_," she snorted. I ignored that last comment, and jumped up. I immediately sat back down. "Light-headed?" Ginny raised an eyebrow.

"Yeah," I groaned, waiting for the dizziness to subside. When the room stopped spinning, I sat up more slowly, and went to the staircase. The dim stairs were much easier to endure than the brightly lit common room. Fred appeared to be sleeping when I entered the dorm, but as I approached him, he turned over to look at me. He groaned as he sat up, and my eyes widened.

"Ugh, I feel like shit," he muttered, rubbing his temples. I was speechless. My first instinct was to pin him down and force him to tell me why the hell he had stopped talking in the first place, but I resisted the urge.

"Yeah, me too," I replied, shaking my head in disbelief.

"Did I sing last night?" he asked incredulously. "I remember singing."

"According to Ginny, yes," I snickered. "She said you were singing some Muggle song to the table next to us." He looked at me, perplexed.

"Just the table? Or were there people at it?"

"Who knows," I laughed. "Is that all you remember? Just the singing?" I asked.

"Yeah, and I barely even remember that," he replied. I sighed.

"I need some coffee… Let's go eat." Fred nodded his agreement, and rolled out of bed. We slowly walked down the stairs in an attempt to avoid falling to our deaths.

"Morning, Ginny," Fred greeted her as we left. Ginny returned the greeting without hesitation, as if he's been saying good morning to her every day. I have to admire her smoothness, as it is far smoother than mine. We took our time going down all the stairs to the Great Hall, and plopped down next to Seamus at the table. I poured myself some coffee, and drank it black. I was too lazy to find the milk and sugar, so I just delt with the bitter taste.

"You two look terrible," Seamus pointed out. "That's some hangover you must have."

"You have no idea," Fred said.

"Oi, look who's talking again!" Seamus said merrily. Fred chuckled and reached for the bacon. Hermione joined us a few minutes later. She looked quite tired, and he hair was a wreck. Well, more of a wreck than usual.

"Hey there, 'Mione," Fred greeted. "Didn't see you in the common room. Did you just get up?" he asked.

"Uh, yes, I did," Hermione replied, seeming slightly put off by Fred's speaking, but she recovered quickly and acted as if it was nothing unusual.

"Imagine that, Miss Hermione Granger sleeping in," Fred smirked. "Late night with Krum and Finnick?" he asked sarcastically. Hermione turned a bright shade of red, and shook her head vigorously. I'm pretty sure I heard her brain hitting her skull.

"What? No!" she said defensively., then added in a very small voice, "Just Finnick…"

"Woah!" Fred and I said together. "You spent the night with Finnick?"

"Not the whole night! I mean it's not like I slept with him," she said, then clapped her hands over her mouth. "No, no! That's not what I meant! Not slept with him as in… as in _sex, _I just meant that I didn't sleep in his dorm, with him. I slept in my own dorm, away from him," she stumbled through her sentence. She groaned and slapped her hands over her face.

"So then, what _did_ you do?" I asked, waggling my eyebrows.

"Just sat around and talked… You know, normal stuff," she said looking down.

"Did you snog?" Fred asked bluntly, leaning in like Pavarti Patil waiting for gossip.

"Well I- we- I-I mean we- uh… yes," Hermione admitted.

"So Krum finally managed to throw you off himself and on to ol' Finn, eh?" Fred asked, laughing hysterically.

"You make it sound like I was a burden to him," Hermione said haughtily.

"Because you probably were," Fred said, still laughing.

"Oh, shut up!" Hermione crossed her arms, which only made Fred laugh harder. "I liked it better when you weren't talking," she added angrily. I raised my eyebrows, and Fred's laughter died. I know she only said it out of anger… but still. Hermione quickly realized what she said, and immediately apologized. "I'm so sorry! I didn't mean it like that, I was just…"

"No hard feelings, Granger. Believe it or not, some people find my chattiness to be… annoying. I can't imagine why, but I understand what you meant," Fred said, giving a crooked grin. Hermione giggled.

"I'm actually rather glad you're talking again," she told him. "Everyday life just isn't the same without your commentary," she said, patting him on the shoulder.

"Understandable," Fred smirked. "I _am_ the funnier twin, after all."

"Oh yeah, you just keep telling yourself that," I said, rolling my eyes, but cracking a smile nonetheless. Fred continued talking with Hermione, talking more than usual, probably to make up for all the things he didn't say before. I just sat back and listened, reveling in the sound of his voice; it seemed too good to be true. Maybe it was just a relapse induced by his alcohol-affected brain, and if it was, I wanted to get in as much as I could.

I was inevitably pulled into the conversation when Fred mentioned that he was the funnier_ and _better looking twin.

"One or the other, Freddie, one or the other," I said, ruffling his hair.

"I don't see why I can't have both, seeing as you're neither," he said back, smirking.

"Oh ha, ha, ha," I said sarcastically.

"I'm glad you're able to see humor in such a tragic situation," he said supportively. I punched him in the arm, and he laughed. "Love you too, Georgie."

"Uh huh," I rolled my eyes, amused. "I'm going back to the common room to rest my aching self. You coming?"

"Yeah, I s'pose," Fred said, and sung his legs over the bench.

We trudged up to the common room, and entered just in time to watch Harry trip and stumble his way down the stairs from his dorm like an infant just learning to walk. Oh, how amusing it was. Sure, we_ could_ have helped him in order to prevent him from tumbling face-first down the stairs, but hey, fatal injuries build character, and who are we to deprive him of such an experience? So we just watched, giggling like Pavarti and Lavender, waiting for him to slip and begin his character-building journey. Fortunately for him, he made it down the stairs in one piece. He took a brief moment to revel in his huge accomplishment, before allowing himself to fall forward over the back of the couch, groaning as he went.

"C'mon, Harry, take that hangover like a man!" Fred said encouragingly, shaking his fist in the air. I snorted.

"Oh look, it speaks," Harry said bitterly, without looking up. Ginny, who was standing nearby, laughed.

Indeed it does. It sings as well, apparently. If you want to book it for any parties, however, it's booked up for a few weeks, but it would be happy to add you to the waiting list," Fred retorted, crossing his arms over his chest. I busted up laughing, along with Ginny, despite the pain it caused in my abdomen. Even Harry managed a weak chuckle.

"Harry, mate, if you can't put up with a simple hangover, how are you supposed to do the mysterious second task?" I asked, feigning motherly disappointment. Harry said something into the sofa cushions. It was muffled, but I'm pretty sure it was "fuck you".

"You know, Fred, I would expect you of all people to know how to make a hangover potion," Ginny mentioned. This was very true. Fred would know better than I would, because he was drunk a lot more often than I was. Through our years at Hogwarts, Fred snuck out a lot more often than I was willing to, so he would go alone, and came back hammered every time. We didn't really drink at all until our third year, when we discovered that we could get drunken wizards to buy us firewhiskey. We gave them the money, and they came back with the drinks. When we started our fifth year, we were being told by a lot of people that we looked older than we really were, so we tried ordering drinks up front at the Hogs Head. Either the bartender thought we looked older, or her just didn't care, because he sold it to us no problem. Fred was already somewhat frequent before that, but when he discovered we had access right up front, he was constantly out, sneaking out after curfew, and not coming back until the wee hours of the morning. I would go with him sometimes, but it was usually just him since, even though it's a good time while it's happening, I'm not a fan of the next morning. Fred didn't care though; he was always more of an 'act-before-he-thinks' kind of person. Near the middle of our fifth year, he went out one night, and was gone longer than usual, so I went to bed without waiting for him. When I woke up, he was in his bed, but he wasn't breathing. I _flipped_ the fuck_ out_. I was screaming and shaking him and someone went to get Madame Pomfrey. When she got to him, she did a bunch of complicated spells that I'd never heard before and got him breathing again. Once he was breathing, she did a few more spells. She said it was alcohol poisoning, and that he had been out for three hours. She said that if he had been out any longer, he would have died. He was in the hospital wing for a week after that, and when he finally got out, I beat the shit out of him and put him right back in for another day. He didn't drink at all for the rest of the term, he wouldn't even touch butterbeer. This year was actually the first time he started drinking again, not obviously not nearly as much as before. If he ever does that again, I'll beat him within an inch of his life.

"Of course I do, Gin, but doing that involves going all the way back up those stairs, and hell if I'm going to waste any more energy today," Fred said, and plopped down into an armchair. "I'd rather wait another three hours." Harry, Ginny, and I cracked up, and Fred smiled contently. Things seemed to finally be back to normal.

**A/N- Hope you enjoyed that vital filler chapter. **

**Sorry this is one of my shorter chapters… But hey, good things come in small packages. XD**

**Now, real quick, I didn't have the whole "reason Fred was silent for so long" talk happen in this chapter because if I were Fred, I wouldn't want to get into that right away, but don't worry, Fred and George will have a heart-to-heart about it later on, probably within the next two or three chapters. **


	28. Déjà Vu

**A/N- I got this chapter our rather soon, eh? ;D **

**This chapter is dedicated to sxcsami because they said they wished they could have gotten a "proper flashback" of the whole alcohol poisoning dealy-bop, so this one's for you, my dear. **

Chapter 28- Déjà Vu

Just sitting around in the common room made me start to feel tired, even though I'm pretty sure I slept for litterally, at least sixteen hours. As I took in the scene around me, I realized that dispite the killer hangover, I had never been more content than I was right then. Fred was cracking jokes, making Ron and Harry laugh, and Ginny roll her eyes. The order of the world seemed finally to have been restored.

"Fred, are you alright?" Ginny asked suddenly. "My heart dropped.

"Whaddya mean?" Fred asked, confused. "I'm fine, why?" I breathed a sigh of reliefe.

"You're really pale. You even look a bit… blue," she said slowly. My heart dropped again when I realized she was right; Freds skin was so pale, it looked to be tinged blue. In fact, I think it really was blue. Fred furrowd his brow. "Are you sure you're alright?"

"Never better. Well aside from the hangover, and I'm a bit cold, but other than that, yeah, I'm briliant," Fred responded with a lopsided grin, shrugging. Ginny didn't look at all reassured, but left it alone. Ron and Harry didn't seem concerned in the slightest, but that was to be expected. I sighed, and tried not to dwell on the unusual coloring of my twins skin. If he said he was ok, I believed him. "Merlin, I'm exausted. I slept forever but I stil… still think I… could…" Fred didn't finish his sentence. His breathing became very shallow, and he was shaking.

"Fred…?" I placed mky hand on his shoulder. He pushed me away, leaned over the arm of the sofa, and became violently sick. Ron and Harry looked rather revolted, and Ginny turned away, eyes closed. "Fred?"

"Oh, Merlin, that was disgusting," Fred said thickly before vanishing the mess. "Not unexpected though, I s'pose. After all, I didn't throw up this… thius morning before… b-breakfast." He managed to compleate his sentence this time before vomitting again, this time directly in front of him. Ginny yelped, and jumped away, moving to a different spot in the room. Fred threw up again, clutching his stomach, and Ginny covered her ears.

Normally I would give him room, let him puke his guts out, then poin and laugh, but not now. This was different; he wasn't stopping. Retch after retch after retch, he was getting bluer, now, I'm sure from lack of oxygen from being unable to breathe. By this time, Ron and Harry had moved a respectable distance away, trying to steer clear of the sick. I, however, stayed with my twin. I moved to sit beside him, not caring if I was near the line of fire. I erubbed his back in soothing circles, not knowing what else to do. I'm not sure he even noticed I was there, and my panick was growing.

"Oh my God, whats wrong with Fred?" came Hermione's panick-stricken voice, high pitched with fear.

"I dunno!" I replied. "He just started puking and wont stop!" I told her fearfully.

"Oh no, his stomach lining is bleeding," she said, looking horrified.

"How the bloody hell can you tell?" I asked incredulously.

"There's blood in his vomit!" she yelled. She was quite right, each retch broght more blood with it. "How long has he been throwing up?"

"Couple minutes now," I told her, becoming more and more terrified by the second.

"All he's throwing up by now is blood and stomach acid…" Hermione muttered. "This isnt good,"

"Well what do we do?" I asked, terror quite evident in my voice.

"I don't know!" she said, exasperated. Then, as if on cue, Fred stopped puking, much to my relife. My reliefe was short-lived however, when Fred slumped to the side on the sofa and began twitching and shaking uncontrollably. "Oh God, hes having a siezure!" she exclaimed, eyes wide and hands over her mouth in shock.

"What the fuck is a siezure?" I yelled.

"_This_ is a bloody siezure!" Hermione screamed back, and to my amazment, uttered an "excuse my French" after. Seconds later, he stopped siezing and lay motionless on the sofa, not breathing.

"Oh God, oh God, oh God…" I repeated over and over. Hermione vanished all the vomit, and I placed the back of my hand against Fred's cheek. He was freezing. "Well we can't just _leave _him like this, what do we do?"

"We need to take him to the hospital wing!" Hermione said. I pushed my arms under Fred's still body and lifted him bridal style. Hermione rushed ahead of me and opened the door. I managed to fit through the portrait hole with Fred, but I accidentally knocked his head on the way out, which would have been rather funny if he wasn't limp in my arms. I moved as quickly as I could carrying one hundred forty extra pounds. I followd Hermione until we reached the hospital wing. "Madame Pomfrey! Madame Pomfrey!" Hermione screamed none too quietly. Madame Pomfrey came bustling out of her office as I layed Fred on the nearest bed.

"What! What is it Miss Granger?" she asked, alarmed. Hermione pointed to Fred, unable to speak, tears pouring down her face. "Oh, sweet Merlin… What's happened this time?" she asked, exasperated.

"I don't know," my voice cracked when I spoke. "I noticed not too long ago that his skin looked blue, and he said he was fine, but then he started punking and he wouldn't stop, and there was blood in it. Hermione said his stomach lining was bleeding or something… He was puking for three minutes straight and when he stopped he had a… a… oh Merlin what's it called.. a-a siezure? Yeah, he had a siezure and then when that stopped h-he just p-p-passed out!" By this time I was sobbing. Tears were streaming down my cheeks and the strangled sound of sobs pushed themselves up and out of my throat.

"Calm down Mr. Weasley, calm down-" Pomfrey tried to calm me.

"I cant bloody well calm down, look at the state of him!" I sobbed.

"Tell me, Mr, Weasley, has he been drinking large amounts of alcolol lately?" she asked, ignoring my outburst.

"Last night," I managed to say. "W-we were at the Three Broomsticks yesterday a-and we were drinking… We were drink-drinking a lot, but not enough for something like this to happen!" When I finished speaking, I broke into a fresh bout of tears. I wiped them away, but it was pointless; more just kept coming.

"From the symptoms you described, it sounds like alcohol poisoning," she told me. My sobs began to die as I processed what she said. I blinked and shook my head, confused.

"No, no he can't have alcohol poisoning," I told the medi-witch. "He drank a fair bit last night, more than enough to get us completely hammered, but not enough to give him alcohol poisoning…"

"Are you sure?" she asked, looking skeptical. I nodded, but now I was unsure.

"Fred, you were really drunk last night. What if he drank more than you think and you just can't remember?" Hermione suggested quietly. I opened my mouth but no sound came out. Hermione was right… that could very well have happened. My mind flashed back to last year, and I knew Madame Pomfrey remembered as well. Waking up to find Fred unconcious… All the spells… Unsure of wether or not my twin would live or die… The time in the hospital wing, his pale skin, the inability to eat, the fear, the tears, the long nights and longer days… All if it rushed back to the front of my mind, each nerve-racking image coming quicker than the last. It was happening again. Who was I to say he didn't drink out the whole place before we left last night? More tears leaked from my eyes, but now they were angry tears. I was overcome with egrigeous rage. Alcohol poisoning again, for the second time.

H

"How the bloody hell could he do this again? Isnt one near death experience enough? I would think he learned from last time, the stupid git! What the hell was going through his mind!" I nearly screamed.

"Calm yourself , your brother will be fine. We just need to let him be for now"

"What?" I stopped my foot-stomping rampage, and looked at the woman curiously. "But last time you had to preform spells, and he was here for a week!" I reminded her.

"Yes, because last time he was drinking heavily almost daily, and he did not vomit the night the poisoning came into effect. I had to use a stomach-pumping spell to rid his body of the alcohol, and a renneverate charm to bring him out of unconciousness because he had been knocked out for so long. This time however, he drank an obscene amount of alcohol in one night, which led to the poisoning, and when he did all that vomitting, he emptied his system, so there is no longer any alcohol in his body. He passes out because he couldn't breathe while he was vomitting." She explained.

"Why did he have a siezure then?" I asked.

"Extreme dehydration because of the vomitting," she replied.

"And why did he turn blue?"

"Hypothermia."

"I'm going to kill him…" I shok my head slowly.

"Good luck," Pomfrey chuckled. "If he's managed to live through alcohol poisoning twice, he must be invincable. Alcohol poisoning can be fatal… He's lucky. If you'd like, you can stay until he wakes up, so you can see how he's doing."

"Thanks, but I have some investigating to do," I said through clenched teeth. I had mixed feelings about staying. On one hand, I was relieved that he was ok, and I wanted to just sit next to his bed and cry some more, but on the other hand, I wanted to stay just so I could punch him in the face as soon as he woke up. I decided it would be more productive if I didn't stay at all, and instead went to talk to Ginny and see just _how much _ alcohol my jackass of a brother drank last night.

"I stormed out the hospital wing with Hermione at my heels. Pomfrey called after me that Fred would be in there till Tuesday. When I burt=st into the common room, I looked for Ginny right away.

"You don't look so good, is Fred alright mate?" Harry asked. I had forgotton about my red-rimmed eyes and tear stained cheeks. I ignored the question and went straight for Ginny.

"Gin, after the shots, did Fred drink anything else?" I asked.

"Yeah… After that, he told Rosmerta to just bring a whole bottle of firewhiskey, so she did. After you left, Oliver used a duplication charm to make more of them, and Fred drank two by himself before you even got to the passage," she told me. I smacked my forehead.

"That idiot…" I muttered. "To answer your question, Harry, yes he's alright NOW but He's got alcohol poisoning, and now I know why," I said. Harry raised his eyebrows.

"Wow…" Ron and Ginny muttered together.

"Yeah. The git's gonna get a beating when he wakes up…" I said, mostly to myself.

O*O*O*O*O*O*

Ten minutes later, I was back down at the hospital wing. Fred was awake, as Madame Pomfrey had promiswd, but he was still really pale. He was laying with his hands behind his head, staring at the celing. When he saw me beside his bed, he grinned.

"Hey there, brother," he greeted. I slapped him across the face. He looked shocked, and held a hand against his cheek.

"A verbal greeting would have sufficed, but if that's how the kids are doing it these days, then alright…" he said, attempting humor. I didn't laugh.

"You complete, idiotic, stupid, uncaring, self-harming, retarded JACKASS!" I yelled, my face red with anger. My fists were shaking at my sides. "Alcohol poisoning, again. What the fuck were you thinking, drinking two full bottles of firewhiskey after all those shots? It's like you were asking for some sort of fatal incident to happen!" I ranted.

"I was drunk out of my mind, I wasn't _thinking_ anything!" he responded, a mix of anger and shock in his eyes.

"That's not an excuse, even hammered, youre smarter than that!" I said. "I was freaking the fuck out, I was sobbong, I had no idea what was going to happen. I thought you were gonna _die_," I said harshly. Fred just looked at me, not saying anything.

"I'm so sorry…" he said quietly.

"Yeah, you'd better be sorry," growled, "'cause when you're out of here on Tuesday, I have half a mind to beat you senseless, that is if you'v got any sense left. I'm strugging not to hit you right _now_." Fred just looked at me with those big hazel eyes of his, mentally begging me to forgive him. I sighed. I didn't have anything else to say.

**A/N- So, there it is. **

**To sxcsami: Instead of a flashback, I gave you a flash…present… or whatever. XD and threw a flashback in the flashpresent! :D**

**So… I'm no medi-witch, obviously, so as a quick disclaimer, I don't know if everything I did in there was medically accurate. All I did was look up the symptoms, and the reasons they occur. XD **


	29. Muggle Addictions

**A/N- So sorry for the delay, as usual. **** I didn't mean this chapter to take so long, but there's a twist here that I think will make it worth the wait. Well what are ya waiting for? Go read it!**

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Chapter 29: Muggle Addictions

The next morning I woke up without Fred, got dressed without Fred, and went to breakfast without Fred. Honestly, I didn't really care. I was still incredibly angry, and I knew that he was with me at the moment, I would probably end up doing something impulsive, leading to a month or two of detention. Hey, if he wanted to drink himself to the brink of death, fine, but I wasn't going to stick around to watch the after effects. Ginny and Ron looked… unsettled, I s'pose you could say. Fred and I blow ourselves up all the time, so I'm sure they've forgotten how to properly worry. Hermione was flipping through a book feverishly, and I was horking down a ham and cheese omelet (hey, starving wasn't gonna run the alcohol out of Fred's system… or the stupid, for that matter). I yawned groggily and cracked my knuckles. No one was speaking. It was rather boring without Fred, actually. I rolled my eyes. No, no, no. Just because Fred was in the hospital wing, most likely hamming it up with Pomfrey didn't mean the entertainment went with him. My time to shine!

"Hermione, class doesn't start for fifteen minutes, what are you reading?" I asked the brunette mockingly. Damn… That wasn't even funny. Does that mean I get my funny from Fred? Wow, now I'm just being ridiculous.

"I'm just looking something up," she replied. I couldn't see, but I'm pretty sure she rolled her eyes. When is she _not _rolling her eyes? Probably when she's with Finn. No, I take that back, she probably rolls her eyes at him too.

"You've been 'looking something up' for the past forty-five minutes," I said, pursing my lips.

"This particular thing is, unfortunately, difficult to find," Hermione sighed. I peeked at the cover of her book. **Muggle Addictions: A-Z**. Muggle addictions? Why the bloody hell would Little-Miss-Perfect Hermione Granger need a book on Muggle addictions? Was she addicted to something? Nah, it was probably for Muggle studies.

Surprisingly, no one asked about Fred's whereabouts. I was slightly disappointed. I had planned to tell anyone who asked that Fred had been trying out a new (non-existent) hovering potion, and due to a series of unfortunate events, wound up at the bottom of the Astronomy tower, and was currently in the hospital wing picking grass blades out of his ears. Whether or not they believed me was unimportant.

The first class of the day was Arithmancy. Merlin, I don't know _how_ Hermione managed this class last year as a third year (smart or not) when I could hardly handle it this year as a sixth year. I was sixteen, I trumped her by two years _at least_, and yet, she managed to walk out of that class with an Outstanding. I will never understand her. Merlin, these numbers were insane! This was the only class that ever forced me to legitimately think. And by think, I mean try. This was, of course, on only one occasion. It was a day when I thought to myself, 'George Weasley, today you should try'! This led to an utter brain meltdown to the point where I could feel my IQ points slowly melting and oozing out of my ears. If Fred and I ever open our own joke shop, I'm sure we'll only need to know the mathematical basics. If not, we can always hire an accountant. Hell, we could even hire Hermione. Therefore, I have given up on Arithmancy and its obscene difficulty.

I wasn't the only one to stop trying, though. I mean, in a class of nearly forty students who were as dedicated as me, if not less, it was to be expected. Most of the class had given up, which led to Professor Vector giving up on _us_. As soon as everyone was seated and settled, he assigned us five pages from the book and sat down at his desk, presumably dying inside with every passing minute. I could do a fair amount of the problems, but the rest I just randomly filled in. To be honest, I'm not sure if half the random fill-ins actually ended up being numbers… But I digress. Math is hard. Don't ever become an architect.

Next class was DADA with Moody. He told and performed the effects of the three unforgivable curses on a magically engorged spider. I heard that this was the fourth years' first less on this year. I feel cheated.

Lunch finally came, but I didn't go to eat. Instead, I dropped by the hospital wing to see Fred. Yeah, I was still angry at him, but I didn't want him to think I didn't love him.

I walked into the pristine white room, dragging my feet slightly. Fred was the only one occupying a bed. He was lying with his arms resting behind his head, staring at the ceiling. He grinned when he spotted me.

"Finally, someone I want to see!" he said, sighing contentedly. "You know, I've been chatting up Pomfrey all day, but she still won't let me out early…" So he _has_ been hamming it up.

"Honestly, I wouldn't let you out either," I laughed.

"Merlin, one little scare and suddenly I'm under school-arrest," he smirked.

My smile disappeared. "It was not just one scare," I reminded him with a hard voice. "Don't forget last year." Fred suddenly looked guilty, as he should. "You said you would never do anything like this again, but then you go drinking two full sized bottles of firewhiskey after twelve shots of the stuff? I can't even fathom what was going on in your head, and DON'T tell me you didn't know what you were thinking because you were 'so drunk', because you knew what you were doing at the time, and if I was smart enough not to do something so stupid, you should have been too." Fred stared at me blankly after I finished my rant. I felt kind of bad for yelling at him, but I knew he needed some sense knocked into him. I looked at him. Pale skin, matted hair, dull eyes, guilty expression; he didn't look like me at all. I collapsed into the chair next to his bed.

"George, I-"

"Do you remember when we were seven, and I fell out of Ginny's bedroom window after we pulled a prank on her, and I ended up breaking my arm? You never left my side. You said you'd be right there with me until Mum and Dad woke up to come fix it." Fred shook his head. "What about when we were ten, and you caught the Spanish Influenza, and I was freaking out because you'd been sick for two weeks straight and I thought it would kill you? You told me you would fight that flu with all of your strength so there would be no question of whether or not you would leave me." Again, he shook his head slowly. "Or when we were thirteen and during the third Quidditch match of the season, Derrick 'missed' the bludger and hit me in the face? You never left my bedside."

Fred looked at me like I was crazy. "How the bloody hell do you remember all that?" he asked incredulously.

"Because they're important times, in my mind. The point is, you've promised me since before I can even remember that you would never leave me, and now you're kinda fucking it up," I said, chuckling.

"I wouldn't be me if I wasn't fucking _something _up," he said softly. I laughed at this.

"Yeah, yeah…" I leaned forward in the chair and placed a soft kiss on Fred's lips. I could feel him smiling as he kissed me back.

"Ahem…" I quickly pulled away at the sound of Pomfrey clearing her throat. "Mr. Weasley, perhaps you should spend the rest of your lunch eating. You can come back after lessons have finished."

"Alright, if you insist," Fred smirked, sitting up.

"Not you," Pomfrey clarified, chuckling nonetheless. He sighed and laid back down.

"I'll see you later then, I s'pose."

"Yeah, later."

I exited the hospital wing and headed to the Great Hall. I st across from Hermione and Harry and next to Ron.

"What took you so long George?" Hermione asked. "You're the last person I would expect to be late to a meal. Well, besides Ron." Ron narrowed his eyes, and Harry laughed.

"Har har, I was with Fred," I told her. "And what on earth are you still doing with that book?" I asked.

"Looking something up," she repeated. "How's Fred?"

"Fine, I guess. He's alive, and trying to get out early, so he must be ok," I reported.

"Did you beat the crap out of him?" Ron asked.

"I didn't, tempting as it was," I said. "I'm not as mad as I was yesterday though," I added, because I wasn't. I still thought he was a dumbass, but that was to be expected from him.

I didn't think about Fred much after that conversation. I just ate and talked with the other three. When I brought up Moody's lesson, Hermione turned red with rage, and went into a rand about he was supposed to be a responsible adult authority figure and was completely mad to have performed those spells in a classroom. Last time I ever talk about my day with her, Merlin.

When it came time to return to lessons, I found myself parked in the greenhouse, learning how to care for tentacula plants. I'll be honest; those things really freak me out. They look like they'll just up and strangle you at any moment. I'll have to mention that in the obscenely long essay I have to write about them. I'm sure I can stretch that into a few paragraphs. Hell, I could probably base the whole thing off of that.

Charms was next, and for the first time that day, someone noticed that Fred was missing. Unfortunately for me, that someone was Jilani. Fuck my life.

"Hey George!" Jilani greeted me once we were set off to review disillusionment charms. Oh Merlin, kill me now.

"Hey, Jilani," I muttered.

"Where's Fred? I haven't seen him all day."

"He was testing a hovering potion this morning. One thing led to another and he ended up falling from the astronomy tower. He's in the hospital wing picking grass blades out of his ears as we speak," I tried my darndest to look sad. Finally, I was able to tell my story!

"Really?" Jilani asked, wide-eyed.

"No. He got alcohol poisoning," I confessed. He looked unsure of which story to believe. I accidentally let slip an amused smile, and Jilani took that as a cue to chat me up.

"So how's life?" he asked. "I haven't seen you in a while, we should hang out. Maybe we can study this weekend?" Yeah, 'cause that's gonna happen. Was he seriously going there? After all the shit we went through? Hell no, I wasn't gonna study with him, now that I know "study" really means "fuck you over", both literally and figuratively.

"I don't thinks that's a good idea," I said. Jilani sighed.

"Well it was worth a try." Not really. "I just sort of miss you I guess." I don't really care. "If you change your mind, just let me know." Yeah, I'll be sure to do that. "I guess even though you're mad at me… I still like you." Dually noted. "I'll see you later." Fool…

An hour and a half later, lessons were over, and I dragged myself into the common room, my energy wearing away, and dropped onto the sofa, scaring the living daylights out of Hermione. I laughed at her high-pitched scream and laid my head in her lap. She looked down at me with raised eyebrows. She shoved her head off my lap, leading to me falling head-first to the ground.

"You women are so cruel," I teased, as I stood up and dusted myself off.

"Only to you men," she said, smiling. "You're lucky I didn't drop my book on your face."

"I'm starting to wish you did, just so you would take a break from it," I laughed. Eye roll. Of course. I parted from Hermione and went upstairs. I took off my robes and sweater, leaving only my white shirt and a tie. It was getting hot, so I figured I should rid myself of the extra layers.

When dinner rolled around, Hermione didn't so; she stayed behind to read her book. Merlin, I've never seen her so wrapped up in a book before. Whatever she needed out of that Muggle Addictions book must be pretty important. Why does she need to know anything about that anyway? Was she planning to start smoking weed or something, but wanted to study up on it first so she could do so 'safely'? I snorted at the thought. I know about most of the Muggle drugs since Dad has delt with them in several cases at work. The idea of it all sounds so stupid. A few hours of euphoria in return for days of depression, and a long-term addiction? I'll never understand Muggles.

I began my assent of the stairs after dinner, intending to sleep for the next forty years. I was so exhausted. I ooched through the common room, up to the dorm, and collapsed on my bed. Not a second later, someone noisily burst into the room. Hermione. Hermione?

"Hermione, how the bloody hell did you get up here?"

"Petrificus…Totalis…On the stairs…" she panted. "I have to tell you something. It's important!"

"Well go on then!" I said, still in shock.

"You know how Madame Pomfrey said that Fred's symptoms matched up to Alcohol poisoning?"

"Yes…"

"It couldn't have been alcohol poisoning," Hermione said. Um… What? "I was just talking to Ginny and she said that both bottles of firewhiskey that Fred drank were duplications of the original bottle!" she said, looking at me as though she expected me to have an epiphany.

"So?" I motioned for her to go on.

"So, duplications don't have the effect of the original. They have NO effect. He could have drank ten of those duplications and he would be fine!" she explained.

"So then… It's not alcohol poisoning," I concluded. "Then what is it?"

"Well that's why I had the book. When I was little my parents explained that I was never to fall into the temptation of doing drugs, because when I got to school I might-"

"Hermione! Get to the point!" I shouted.

"Ok, I'm sorry! Well in the book, I found out that all the symptoms for alcohol poisoning… well they're the same as… As an overdose of heroine," Hermione said quietly.

An overdose of heroine. The sentence reverberated viciously through my head.

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**A/N- Oh my GOD. I used a lot of hyphenated words In this chapter. XD Well, was it worth it? HEROINE? WTF? WHY FRED? Haha, sorry, I'm so hyper… I'll go now. Don't forget to review! **


	30. Heroine

**A/N- Holy freaking crap! I know it's been over a month, and Im so so so sorry! I didn't mean for it to be this delayed DX**

**Holy crap, 30 chapters! That's like… 2 chapters a month. If you exclude the months I skipped. XD Anyway, read! Read and love!**

**Oh, wait. So there's one or two run-on sentences in this chapter, and that's because I made them run-ons on purpose. I did that so that you could see and feel how overwhelmed George was feeling in those parts.**

Chapter 30: Heroine

_Heroine…Heroine…Heroine…_

First of all, where the fucking hell would even be able to procure heroine anywhere near here in the first place? Heroine is a Muggle drug, there's nowhere for him to buy it! And _how _would he buy it? Neither of us have any money outside of what we made from the spell-check quills, and that money was… in the drawer of the bedside table between our beds… I rushed to the little bedside table, and muttered the personalized unlocking spell before wrenching it open. There was nothing there.

"Hermione, how much does heroine usually go for?" I asked, struggling to keep my voice calm.

"W-well it depends on what kinds= you b-buy, and h-how much, but it can go f-for hundreds of pounds," she said. I ran through the exchange rate in my head.

"That sounds about right," I muttered, mostly to myself. I dropped to my knees and peered under my bed. I pulled the box of spell-check quills out from underneath, and opened it. "Looks like he was selling under the radar. I guess… He really is doing heroine…"

O*O*O*O*O*O*O*O*

The next morning, I found myself waking up at around seven o'clock. I was getting dressed practically blindly, attempting to shake away the morning brain fog. I jogged down the stairs into the common room. When Hermione saw me, her expression quickly adopted fear and worry. I almost asked what was wrong, but then I remembered. The brain fog immediately cleared, and I had the urge to kick something. I didn't show it, however, and just waved to Hermione and smiled with cheeriness so false, even I didn't believe myself.

I moved past her and clambered through the portrait hole. I resisted the urge to stomp down every flight of steps on the way down to breakfast. I sat myself down in front of Harry and Ron and began filling my plate, quite violently, apparently.

"Ouch, what did that toast do to you mate?" Harry asked, chuckling.

"Huh?" I looked down, and saw the toast in crumbled on my plate. I sighed and carefully selected two new pieces.

"So how's Fred?" Ron asked.

"Oh, he's fan-fucking-tastic. Never been better, I assure you," I growled.

"I take it he won't be feeling so hot after you're done with him?" Harry asked, laughing. Oh Harry… If only you knew how not funny this was…

"I have half a mind to just put him back in the hospital wing," I muttered darkly.

"I don't blame ya," Ron commented. "Second time he's done this." I almost asked what he meant by "second", but then I remembered that no one except Hermione, me, and possibly Ginny knew about the heroine, and I figured it was probably better that no one else knew. That way I could kill him myself. I tried to think of all the places Fred could go to get heroine, but couldn't think of any. More importantly, where would he go to shoot it? Where _has_ he been going? He's never mysteriously disappeared. If he has, I never noticed. I've never noticed him acting weird either. Maybe he was just good at hiding it? Or he just didn't return until the effects had completely worn off. Ugh, I'm just… SO confused. Oh lord, speak of the devil, Fred was entering the Great Hall as I dropped my head into my hands and rubbed my temples. He sat himself down next to me, and flung his arm around my shoulders.

"Hello, my tasty little lemon drop," he said cheerily. "How are you on the fine morning?" he asked, and pressed his face in my hair. Normally, this would seem completely… well, normal. But now it seemed off-beat and very un-Fred like.

"Hey, good morning," I muttered.

"I know I only missed a day, but I missed you," he whispered into my hair. I couldn't bring myself to return his gestures. I just couldn't. It felt like he wasn't doing it knowingly. It was like he was under the influence of something. Like a drug. Like heroine. Part of me didn't care one way or another if he was just being himself or if he was on something, and just wanted to kiss him and hold his hands and whisper back that I missed him too. The other part of me though, didn't want to fool myself by reciprocating false gestures.

"Hey Fred, how're you feeling?" Ron asked. Fred ignored him.

"Whaddya say we skive Charms and romp around a bit? Just us?" he offered, one of his hands sliding down my arm and coming to rest on my leg.

"I don't think that's a good-"

"C'mon, it's been a while. If ya wanna mix things up, we can get Hermione to join in." Hermione, who was pretending not to be listening, turned a bright shade of red. This seemed like a very Fred-ish kind of thing to say, but who was I to say what was and wasn't Fred-like anymore?

"Fred, I really-"

"Come _on_ George, I know you want to. You can't just-"

"Fred, are you high?" I asked, my voice cracking. For a moment he just looked at me with that seductive look on his face, his lusty eyes burning into me, piercing a hole in my soul. Then he started laughing.

"Yeah. Yeah, I am. I'm so high," he snorted. Ron and Harry stared at him. Hermione looked worriedly at me. "I'm so fucking high," Fred said and his laughter was becoming more and more hysterical and people were starting to stare and I pressed my palms against my face just wishing the world would stop.

"Fred, shut up," I growled.

"Sorry, I'm sorry George," Fred apologized, his laughter dying out.

I sighed. "Fred, we need to have a talk. A serious talk," I said quietly.

"What about?" he asked happily. I blinked.

"Just come up to the common room with me," I said, pulling him up by his elbow. He stood up willingly and followed me out of the Great Hall. The whole way up to the common room, Fred kept putting his arms around me, holding my hands, and kissing my neck, but I refused to give in to his drug-induced antics. When we got into the common room, Fred pushed me down on to the couch, straddled my lap, and dropped his lips onto mine. My hands reflexively went to his hips, but I forced myself to drop them so that they were on the couch by my sides. I didn't kiss back; I couldn't. "Fred, stop," I said when he pulled back for air, but he didn't listen. He claimed my lips again, grinding against my hips, but to no avail. He rose no response from me, and when he pulled away again, I pushed him away.

"What's wrong?" he asked.

"Fred, we need to talk," I said again.

"About what?" he asked, bringing his lips to my neck.

"Fred! Stop it! We need to talk about the heroine. A-and… and about why you stopped talking for so long."

"That was less than a week, mate," Fred snorted.

"And how long have you been on heroine, huh? I'm sure that was _more_ than a week!"

Fred quickly adopted a sober expression.

"Why does it matter? It's my choice, why do you care?" he replied gravely.

"Because you're my brother. More than that, you're my twin, and I care about you, and I don't want you to drug yourself into the ground," I told him. His eyes looked dull. For a long moment, he didn't say anything. Then:

"Merlin, look at you being all serious," he laughed. I sighed, frustrated.

"Fred, focus for me please, ok?" I commanded, exasperated. "Why the bloody hell are you on heroine?" I asked clearly.

"Because this shit is too much to handle! Everyone is giving us dirty looks, beating the crap out of us… Well, beating the crap out of _me_. You've barely been touched," he said angrily. "I hate being punished for being who I am. I don't think it's fair that when we finally ballsed up enough to out ourselves, we get spited. What's wrong with escaping every once in a while from that hell? Our own house is against us." I resisted telling him that only like, two Gryffindors actually had an issue. "I think I deserve to get away once in a while, more so than _you_, anyway, seeing as you virtually haven't had a hair harmed on your pretty little head."

"What, so heroine is supposed to make everything better then? Just make all your problems go away? Until when? Until the buzz wears off? Because guess what: when you come down from that high, you're right back where you started," I snarled.

Fred glared at me, eyes aflame.

"You think I don't know that? You think I don't know that as soon as it wears off I have to come back to this? I know damn well that I can't permanently make everything go away. But you know what? It's worth it for the four hours or so that I _can_. And at this point, that's all that really matters." His voice cracked pathetically. He looked at me sadly before letting himself collapse on to the couch. We were quiet for a while. "Knockturn Alley," Fred said suddenly.

"What?"

"That's where I've been getting the heroine. From Knockturn Alley. I know you've been wondering, he told me.

"There are Muggles selling heroin in Knockturn Alley?" I asked stupidly.

"No," he rolled his eyes. "There are wizards selling heroin in Knockturn Alley, among other drugs."

"Oh," I said. I couldn't think of anything else to say on the matter. "So then… why uh… Why did you stop talking?" I asked quietly.

"Same reason I started doing heroin. It was too much. I knew there was nothing I could say to stop them so I just… didn't say anything. "

"That doesn't make sense."

"It does to me," he said quietly.

"That's all that matters I guess," I laughed. Fred didn't laugh, but he smiled slightly.

"I'm sorry," he muttered.

"You'd better be! I was ready to beat the living shit out of you when I brought you up here!" I raised my voice, but used no malice. How could I? No matter how mad I was before, I couldn't stay mad at him.

"I love you," he murmured, pulling me closer to him on the sofa.

"I love you too… I guess," I chuckled. Fred smiled and moved my hair out of my eyes. His hand moved to the back of my neck and he kissed me gently. I returned the kiss this time. "But you're still a dumbass," I reminded him, and this time, he busted up laughing.

O*O*O*O*O*O*O

As it turns out, we did end up romping around. That sneaky bastard, seducing me without me even realizing it. We skived Charms completely, and arrived to Snape's class almost twenty minutes late. He deducted twenty points from each of us for being late, and another ten each for "glowing". I don't know if that meant he noticed the post-sex glow, or if he just thought we looked too happy for late students. We ignored Snape's negativity and picked up with the rest of the class, making Draught of Living Death.

By the time lessons ended, Fred's high had long since worn off. I suppose my guess that he was good at hiding it was right, because after the sex, I had completely forgotten about the heroine. When I remembered, I didn't notice any unusual behavior. I wasn't sure if that was good or bad, so I didn't take a side.

That night, Fred and I went to the Room of Requirement and recovered Fred's heroine stash. We took it to the bathrooms and flushed all of it down the toilets. After the deed was done, Fred had a sort of triumphant look on his face. I patted him on the back, and we left the bathroom, Fred not looking back once.

**A/N- Again, I'm so very sorry this was so late. I feel really bad… I can't make any promises for when the next chapter will come because not only am I working on this, but I have other fic Ideas, and I'm in the process of writing a novel, which is very time consuming. All I can promise is that it shall arrive, not matter how late. **

**Review please!**


	31. Formal Attire and Such

**A/N- Yeah… I know this is delayed by a lot. I suck. Hopefully you can find it in your hearts to forgive me, for I am very sorry. **

Chapter 31- Formal Attire and Such

Three…More…Days. I'd never resented a Tuesday so much in my life. I sat in potions tapping my heel against the stone floor while Snape lectured us on the properties of Lacewing Flies. There were only three more days of school left, then we'd be back home for a little over two weeks for the winter holidays. Fred and I weren't even listening to Snape; we were playing some Muggle game called Tic-Tac-Toe. It was actually quite amusing. I found a trick to winning every time, and Fred was getting frustrated, but was still amused. Snape saw us playing and took the parchment from us. He didn't know what to make of it though, since it was just a bunch of X's and O's.

At lunch, Ginny told us she got approval from Dumbledore to hold a Christmas Masquerade Ball the day before holidays began, which was that Friday. Ginny and Hermione were all kinds of excited, but Fred and I were unsure of what to think of it. It was just another Yule Ball but with all age groups, and as far as I was concerned, Fred didn't need another relapse.

Ever since we got rid of the heroine, he's been having some serious withdrawal. He's been jittery, tired, and snappy, but that's better than him being high.

"Gin, why would you ask to have _another_ dance when we just had the utterly disastrous Yule Ball?" I groaned.

"It was only disastrous for you two," Ginny pointed out. "And it would be fun! Merlin knows this school needs it." I know Ginny was basically calling the school boring, but I gave her a bit of hell for it anyway. "There's nothing to do here! We need excitement!"

"Fred snorted at the word "excitement". "What the bloody hell are you talking about, 'it's boring'?" Fred asked incredulously. "This castle's bloody huge, not to mention all the outdoors areas. It's an adventure waiting, yeah? Our dear Harry is proof of that." He gestured to Harry, who looked up with a mouth full of potatoes. "You can pretty much do whatever you fancy here," he said airily.

"Harry is an exception to everything, including boredom for that matter. And as far as doing whatever you fancy, that's just you two, and even _that_ is iffy, seeing as you're normally in detention every other day. It's a wonder you haven't gotten one yet this year," Ginny sniffed. I rolled my eyes, and Fred waved her off. "Don't just brush it off, because I expect both of you to be there."

"What? Why?" Fred and I asked in unison.

"Because you need it more than anyone."

"And just what makes you say that?"

"Need I recap the last few weeks?" Ginny raised her eyebrows. "Actually, now that I think about it, _Fred_ needs it more than anyone…" she said, looking lost in memory.

"Yeah Georgie, hear that? I _need_ some fun," Fred laughed and playfully punched me in the shoulder. I rolled my eyes, and pulled him in to a quick kiss.

"I can think of a few ways we can have fun _without_ the bloody ball…" I whispered, and Fred grinned. "In all seriousness though, I suppose she has a point in the matter," I smirked. Ginny smiled and clapped her hands together.

"So you'll be there then?" she asked.

"What's the dress code?" I asked cheekily.

"Formal, George, what else would it be?" she rolled her eyes. "And none of that shirt and tie business, either. I want both of you in decent formal attire." Merlin, she was starting to sound like Mum.

"A shirt and tie IS decent," Fred laughed.

"Fine. Then be more than decent, be stunning. Be drop dead sexy, be… I dunno, above average, at least." I couldn't help laughing at that, and Fred joined me. "Why don't you go down to Hogsmeade and get tuxedos?" she suggested.

"Why tuxedos?" Fred asked.

"Because dress robes don't suit you," Ginny said matter-of-factly. I suppose she's right, Muggle attire has always looks better on us than robes, aside from school robes, of course. Only we could look that gorgeous in something so bulky and undistinguished.

"Okay… Well we don't have any money to get tuxedos," I told her, and didn't bring up why. Ginny smiled that cunning smile of hers (I swear, it could rival mine and Fred's) and pushed a handful of coins across the table.

"Ginny! Where the hell did you get that?" Fred asked, perplexed.

"Dad got a bonus last week so he sent me some money for a dress when he found out we were having one. I was just going to wear my Yule Ball dress, but I like my new one… Anyway, I got the new dress on sale, so I have some left over. Use it to buy your tux's."

"Thanks, Gin," I said and smiled.

"Anytime…" Ginny smiled back.

"I guess we're taking a trip tonight," Fred said, nudging my arm.

"Merlin… I guess so, since Ginny wont let us live to see another day if we don't," I joked. Ginny snorted, but smiled.

Dumbledore had announced the Masquerade Ball last week, so every day since then, packages had been arriving bearing dresses, dress robes, and suits. I was expecting there to be a big fuss over it like there had been about the Yule Ball, but there wasn't. I guess everyone expected it to be no different from the Yule Ball, or worse since it was student arranged. That's right; Ginny was the one setting up the entire thing, though I'm sure she roped Hermione and a few other friends into helping her. Fred and I had faith in Ginny though, since she's always been the event-planning type. Ever since she was little, she's always helped Mum plan birthdays and the like. I think that's why Harry never wanted to celebrate his birthday with us. I mean, I'm sure he wouldn't mind just a dinner with the family or something, I'm pretty sure it's not us personally he doesn't want to be with. It's juts that every time he asks for just a small celebration, it turns into a big party with the whole Weasley family in attendance, distant included, due to a mixture of Mum's motherly love for him, and Ginny's ability to throw a good shindig. Eh, whatever happens, we would be there to support her I guess. What kind of menacing over-protective brothers would we be if we didn't?

O*O*O*O*O*O*O*O

"So what are your thoughts on this Masquerade Ball deal?" I asked Harry later that night in the common room. Lessons were over and everyone was just killing time until dinner.

"I dunno. I wasn't really partial to the Yule Ball, and now we're having another one. I dunno how much more dancing I can take, mate," Harry said, running his hand through his black hair.

"That's what I was thinking," I sighed. "I dunno about anyone else, but I'm perfectly content with spending our last day doing nothing. I mean, we literally just had the Yule Ball, what, three weeks ago? And why the bloody hell does Ginny need _another_ dress? Why cant she just wear the one she wore for the Yule Ball? Same to be said for all the _other_ birds getting new dresses. Merlin, girls are so confusing…"

"Well it's a good thing you won't be taking a girl then," Harry chuckled.

"Yeah, but I won't be taking Fred either," I said. "Well, he'll be coming with me, yeah, but I mean, he won't be my date," I clarified.

"Why not?"

"If I had something big, solid, and heavy near me, I'd hit you with it," I said after a pause, and smacked my face with the palm of my hand. There should be a word for that, since people's utter stupidity makes it a popular gesture. Handface? "Please don't make me review the last few weeks. No thanks…"

"That's whole atrocity happened because you let it," Harry said. He sounded very accusatory, and I frowned. "What I mean is that you finally worked it up to just come out, which was great, but when people started taking the mickey out of you for it, you just took it. You didn't tell them to bugger off."

"Er, tried that once," I reminded him, recalling the scene when I tried standing up for Fred when the Hufflepuffs were beating him up.

"And never again," Harry pointed out. I sighed aggregately.

"I just really don't want to go," I muttered.

"Me either, but Ginny'll have us hanging by the rafters if we don't go," Fred said and rubbed his eyes.

I could clearly see Ginny and Hermione sitting on the couch gushing their school-girl hearts out over this ball. I never thought Hermione to be the type to get so excited over something so frivolous; in fact she never seemed excited about anything unless it was an exam or something, but here she was talking about what to do with her hair and what color dress would go good with her shoes, and all that jazz. I think the only reason she was so excited about the masquerade was because she had fun at the Yule Ball, and that was only because she had gone with Krum. I assumed she's be going with him for this until I remembered that Finnick bloke. I could only assume she'd be asking him to the ball if she hadn't already. Speaking of Hermione and Finnick, whatever was going on between them was seriously weird.. I heard her call him Finn the Human not too long ago. I dunno if that's some sort of pet name or whatever, but I don't get why she felt the need to point out the obvious like that, I mean of course he's a human, what else would he be? A unicorn? I could be wrong, but… I'm pretty sure he's a human. Hermione was spending a whole lot of her spare time with Finnick too, and whenever Krum saw them together, he'd get this look in his eyes. Jealousy, I expect. Now that he had successfully managed to shove her off, he was regretting it. Lucky for Hermione, her blatant attempts to get Finnick to like her were working. I saw them walking around school all the time. If he started hanging around us, I'd have to give him some hell. About what? I don't know, but that's the Weasley way.

After dinner, Fred and I decided we should probably go ahead down to Hogsmeade to get the oh so important tuxedos. We ended up leaving dinner early, and went through the painting of the Hogwarts Crest. We popped out from the man-hole and dragged ourselves through the snow to an old shop that sold muggle clothes. Even though it was after dark, it was still fairly busy in Hogsmeade, and when we entered the shop, there were several people inside. We passed the casual clothes ( a lot of which looked pretty neat), and headed for formal wear. Many of the dresses looked pretty slaggy, so I hoped that Ginny had nabbed the only descent one… We flipped through the suits and tuxedos, but none of them seemed to catch my fancy. Fred was at one rack and I was at another, and I couldn't seem to find anything. Then, I saw it. The PERFECT tux. The trousers were black, and the jacket was black and grey checkered. The vest was a reflective sort of sheer black that looked grey at just the right angle with a matching bow tie. The cummerbund was black and grey checkered as well. It didn't come with shoes but I could just transfigure some trainers if I had to.

"Oi, Fred, I found one."

"So did I. Bloody perfect it is," Fred said excitedly.

"Lemme see it then."

"Oh, no, not right now. You'll see it on Friday," he said teasingly.

"Oh so that's how it is eh? Fine, same goes for you," I said.

"Fine by me," Fred said casually. I rolled my eyes. I waited for him to pay for his, then went up to pay for mine, after making sure Fred couldn't see. Each was put in it's respective hanging bag, designed so that you couldn't see what was inside, and it could be hung in a closet. We carried them back to the castle, each of us playfully trying to peek in to the others bag. Once we were back in the castle, we made sure to let Ginny know we had done as she asked before putting the tux's in the dorm.

"Are you two going to be at the task tomorrow?" Harry asked us when we got downstairs.

"Pardon?" Fred and I asked together.

"The second task is tomorrow… No one told you?"

"Eh, no. Not a thing," I said slowly.

"Oh… Well, now you know. Be up by 8 and in front of the school. Everyone viewing will be taken out to a platform in the middle of the Black Lake," Harry said, and left us with a pat on the shoulder.

"Well… At least that means we get out of lessons tomorrow," Fred said cheerfully.

**A/N- As you can see from the Adventure Time reference, time doesn't exist here XD. **

**Again, I'm really sorry about how late this is. It's been over a month, but here it is! Throw cyber tomatoes if you must, but I hope you like this chapter. **

**Review please! :D**


	32. The Second Task

**A/N- Yeah… I suck. XD I sat down and wrote this whole thing today, and I think I actually did a good job. Hopefully it won't be such a long wait to the next chapter because I'm actually excited to write it. **

**Oh, and I've been considering whether or not I should change the rating from T to M, but I don't really think this is graphic enough to be considered M. Regardless, this chapter does have a warning, so yeah. ;)**

**- oOo -**

Chapter 32- The Second Task

"Merlin, it's too early in the morning for this,,," I groaned as I pulled on a pair of red fingerless gloves and a knit cap, preparing to go out into the cold for the viewing of the second task. Fred dropped something on my bed, then went back to his dresser to dig out his red and gold Gryffindor scarf, which he then wrapped around his neck.

"What's this?" I asked.

"Betting box," Fred replied, adjusting his scarf. "Make a few extra galleons, you know. Get some supplies for the products we have yet to work on."

"Oh yeah… Never did get 'round to those trick wands, did we?" I muttered. I shrugged and picked up the box, and exited the dorm with Fred, who was carrying his own box. In the front of the school, all the students who wanted to see the second task were waiting in the front of the school next to The Black Lake. Once everyone was ready, Dumbledore led everyone around to the back of the school and had us all load into little boats, like the ones we rode in when we were first years coming to the castle. In the distance, we could clearly see a large, multi-story platform where al the spectators would be watching from. Everyone was loaded onto the boats and taken across the lake, and when we arrived at the platform, most people began climbing stairs to the higher levels. Fred and I climbed the levels, up and down, calling for bets. Ginny rolled her eyes, but bet on Harry. When we reached the bottom of the platform again, we had collected a fair amount of money. One box contained the coins, and the other contained the betting slips. A lot of people bet on Krum, but a fair amount had bet on Harry as well, including Neville, who had never struck me as the betting type..

Harry was on the bottom platform talking to Neville, who was showing him some weird green plant. According to Harry, when I talked to him the previous night, it was Gillyweed. When I talked to Harry, he said he was supposed to find something underwater in the lake. He suspected Merpeople, and said he only had an hour to find whatever it was they had taken from him. Fleur and Cedric were performing charms on themselves, (bubble-head charms, I think), and Krum was doing some sort of transfiguration.

"Have you seen Ron?" Hermione's voice came from behind us, and Fred and I turned around.

"Er, no, I haven't," I replied.

"Nor have I," Fred said. Hermione shifted her weight from one foot to another.

"He didn't come down to the common room this morning, and I never saw him get on a boat or anything…"

"Maybe he just doesn't want to watch," Fred suggested.

"But why wouldn't he come to see Harry?" she asked worriedly.

"Because he's a git?" I said slowly.

"Don't get your knickers in a twist, darling," Fred said in a sing-song voice. "It's only Ron, he's nothing to fret over," he said. Hermione rolled her eyes, but didn't look quite so upset.

"You're right… Maybe he just didn't wanna come…" she said, mostly to herself. Then, Dumbledore's voice boomed from somewhere above us, announcing that the task was about to begin. He named the Champions, their schools, and (in Harry and Cedric's case), their houses. Then, the shot sounded, and Harry stuffed the Gillyweed into his mouth while the others dove in. After a second, Harry appeared to be choking, and he fell into the water. Neville proceeded to yell,

"Oh my God! I've killed Harry potter!" and failed to see Harry as he jumped out of the water, did a flip, and dove back into the freaking water like a dolphin.

Everyone was cheering like maniacs, some chanting for who they wanted to win. Fred and I took this extended period of NOTHING to count up the bets. As we expected, a lot of people voted for Krum, because why wouldn't they? He was an International Quidditch player. He can do anything. The second most popular bet was Harry, because… well because he's Harry. The chosen one. Yeah. The third most popular bet was Fleur, surprisingly. I'll be honest, I wouldn't have bet on her. I mean, she's a girl. Yeah, I know, anything men can do, women can do as well, in some cases even better, but come on, these tasks are dangerous. Fleur got the worst score on the first task, and I didn't expect this to be any different. Then there was Cedric, who I wouldn't have expected to be last in the bets.

The minutes ticked on, and about forty-five minutes in, Krum broke the surface wit Finnick. Wait, why was Finnick with him? I took it upon myself to ask Hermione, and she said that he must have been what the Merpeople "took".

"Very well then…" Fred shrugged. "Looks like the Krum betters won," he said over the excited screams. Hermione disappeared after that, I don't know where she went. About ten minutes after that, Cedric came up with Cho Chang. I could only assume that all of them had a person to save. Maybe that's where Ron was…

"Hey, Georgie. D'you reckon Ron's the one Harry has to save?" Fred asked, nudging me.

"I was just thinking that, Freddie," I laughed. Five minutes later, the hour was up, but still no sign of Harry or Fleur. Another minute… and two more.

"Any sign of Harry yet?" Hermione asked, her voice behind me.

"No," I replied. I heard someone speaking rapid French. I turned around and saw Fleur, wet and wrapped In a towel. What? How had she come up before Harry? Hermione was rubbing her back and speaking French in return. Of course Hermione would speak French. Why not? I asked Hermione when Fleur had come up because I hadn't seen her.

"She had to be rescued," she said quietly. "The Grindylows got her before she even got to the Merpeople."

"Bloody hell… Well who was-" I was cut off by insanely crazy exploding cheers. I spun around and looked toward the water. Ron and a young blonde girl had broke the surface and were swimming toward the platform. Seconds later, Harry came up, looking pretty beaten up.

"Gabrielle!" Fleur cried, and ran to the edge. As soon as Harry was out of the water, Hermione threw a million towels on him, and Ron as well. Fleur rushed over with Gabrielle, thanked them profusely for saving her sister, and gave Harry a kiss on the cheek. Then she turned to Ron, thanked him for helping, and kissed him as well. Ron looked completely… Ron-like, and Fred and I had to fight not to laugh.

When Dumbledore's voice boomed out, everyone shut up to hear the points. Krum was given first place, obviously. Then, he surprised us by giving Harry second place points for saving both Ron and Gabrielle, and for "outstanding moral fiber", which I found amusing.

Once everyone was off the platform, Fred and I bumped Harry around a bit and teased him about the moral fiber thing, which he had a good laugh about before he went off to talk to the Minister, who appeared out of nowhere, literally.

After distributing money to those who had won the bets, we had a fair bit of money left, so we paid Ginny back the money she gave us for the Tux's. Speaking of which, I had been dying to see Fred's, but I didn't go searching for it because I didn't want to ruin the surprise, just like I knew he wouldn't go looking for mine. I'll be honest, seeing Fred's tux is the only reason I was still planning to attend this masquerade ball, because I really didn't want to go just for the dancing. Just because Ginny thought we needed a night of fun didn't mean we agreed, because I most certainly didn't. I had this strange ominous feeling that it wasn't going to end well. We were doing this for Ginny though, so we had to suck it up, lest we give up any chance of ever having kids, and I quite like my balls right where they are.

"Hey Fred, George, come here." Speak of the she-devil…

"Yes?" I ask as I approach her, Fred at my side.

"Here," she said, and held out a black silk bag to each of us.

"What are these?" Fred asked, as he took the bag with his name on it.

"Your masks," Ginny replied. "Don't open them in front of each other, they match your outfits," she added when I started to open mine.

"How d'you know what our outfits look like? We just bought them yesterday," I asked, eyebrows raised.

"I found them," she said casually. "It was easy enough."

"Right… Well I wanna see mine so I'm gonna go upstairs," I said.

"Alright. I'll look at mine down here," Fred said, and I walked away and up the stairs to the dorm. There were only two other people in the dorm; Lee, and Oliver (who I haven't really spoken to since "the incident"), so I sat down on my bed and opened the bag.

I have to admit, the mask was beautiful. It was a shiny black with eyes that turned up at the outside corners. The eyes were outlined in grey and there was a grey feather pattern running down the left side. Three obsidian black jewels curved around the corner of the right eye. It was absolutely gorgeous, and it was perfect for my tux. There was a little note inside the bag that said there was a charm on the mask that would make it stay on my face without a string or something. If mine was this perfect, I could only imagine how good Fred's was going to look. I put the mask back in the bag, and put the bag under the bed with my tux. I went back downstairs and put a hand over my eyes before entering the common room.

"Is it safe? Can I look now?"

"You're good," Fred said, amused. I uncovered my eyes and sat on the couch next to Ginny while Fred excused himself to go put his mask away.

"So," Ginny turned towards me. "Are you still planning to be dateless?" she asked.

"Yes," I stated, matter-of-factly.

"You're not even going to dance with him?" she asked disappointedly.

"Gin, I don't even want to _go_," I told her. "And it's got nothing to do with you, really, I just don't fancy a Yule Ball repeat, and Merlin knows, if I lay a hand on him, we'll be beaten within an inch of our lives.

"You can't let them do this to you," Ginny said quietly as Fred sat down.

"Do what?" Fred asked, but we ignored him.

"I'm not letting them, it just happens," I told her, frustrated. "I'm not asking them to come along and harass us! Because contrary to popular belief, it's really not a picnic."

"If that was true, they wouldn't have layed a hand on either one of you in the first place," Ginny said, and there was an air of finality. I didn't say anything else. After a moment, Fred spoke up.

"I'm actually looking forward to tomorrow," he said with a chuckle.

"Well good for you for being optimistic," I laughed.

"Just saying," he shrugged, and laughed along.

"Too bad for you, George, you'll be there, or else." She looked like she was joking, but I knew she was serious.

When dinner rolled around, Fred and I opted to stay in the common room. Once everyone was gone, Fred straddled my lap, and pushed me so that I was laying down with my head on the armrest. He pushed off my hat, letting it fall to the floor. I grinned, and let him take control. We hadn't done this in a while. I had one leg off the couch, foot flat on the ground, and one leg on the couch, bent at the knee, foot flat on the cushions and leaning against the back. Fred had one knee on either side of my hips with one arm beside my face with his hand in my hair, and the other arm on the arm rest, propping him up. He leaned his face close to me, grinning, and teased me. HE brushed his lips against mine, then pulled away. He did it again. After the third time he pulled away, I threw my arms around his neck and pulled him to me. His lips moved against mine carefully, his left hand moving through my hair. I unwound his scarf and threw it to the floor, pulled his body closer, and kissed him harder. I quickly pulled off my gloves and slid my hands up under his shirt, feeling the skin. Fred pushed himself up and moved down my body. He unzipped my tan corduroy jeans, and went down on me. My eyes closed, and I turned my head toward the back of the couch to muffle my moans. He ran his hands up and down my thighs and bobbed his head faster. My moans grew louder, and breathier, and I squeezed my eyes shut and he started using his hands andIwassocloseand-

"Has anyone seen- Oh, fuck."

The portrait hole busted open and Jilani clumsily clambered in, then stopped dead in his tracks, his face turning red. Fred jumped off of me, wiping his mouth, and I ripped the cushion off from beside me and put it in my lap to cover my raging hard-on.

"Oh Merlin, I am so sorry," Jilani apologized quietly, not moving.

"No worries. So uh, what was it you wanted?" Fred asked, cool, calm, and collected, except for the fact he was blushing so bad it looked like he had a bad sunburn.

"Nothing, er, it's not important," Jilani said, and left quickly. I let out the breath I hadn't realized I'd been holding, and fell back in to my laying position, still holding the cushion over my crotch.

"Shit… I lost it…" I groaned. Fred moved colder to me, and pulled the cushion away.

"Don't worry. I can bring it back," he grinned.

- oOo -

**A/N- So there we go. Sorry for the wait. **

**Ya know, I was going through the music I plan on using for the next chapter, and I realized none of It is from the correct time period. I have no problem with it, because there doesn't really seem to be any sense of time in this fic, but if it really does honestly bother anyone, I'm sorry. :/ **


	33. The Masquerade Ball

**A/N- If you're wondering why this took so darn long, its because it's more than twice as long as my other chapters. My chapters are usually around four front back pages of notebook paper, and this chapter is more than ten pages. :D I thought about splitting it in to two separate chapters, but I decided you'll just have to suck it up and read more. XD**

**- OoO -**

Chapter 33: The Masquerade Ball

I was beginning to doubt my willingness to attend this ball, Fred's mysterious tux be damned. The night of the ball, I was sitting across from Fred at the Gryffindor table in the Great Hall for dinner, and students from other tables were giving us "the look". I mulled over it and came to the conclusion that if I were, in fact, to attend this ball, I'd basically be signing the contract for my immediate death. I could see it playing out in my head: Fred and I arrive dressed up all fancy-like, we're having a good time, then, while he's talking to Harry, I tap him on the shoulder to ask him something, then BAM.! Done. Over. Fin. That's it, we're dead. I'm such a pessimist.

O*O*O*O*O*O

Twenty minutes later, we were sitting on the sofa in the common room.

"You know, tonight it just…JUST going to be the best damn night of my life. I mean really, I am just going to have a blast, just so much fun. I have never, NEVER, been more excited for anything in all my sixteen years." Fred looked at me like I had gone absolutely mad. "Yeah… That was actually a load of bullocks. I'm actually not looking forward to it at all. As a matter of fact, every fiber of my being is telling me that I would rather shove flaming quills through my eyes."

"Well aren't you just a massive luminescent ball of sunshiny joy?" Fred asked sarcastically.

"Oh, definitely," I nodded. "I'm feeling quite luminescent and sunshiny," I said, and proceeded to punch him in the shoulder.

"Careful now, your joy might just kill me…" Fred muttered, rubbing his shoulder. "Be right back, going to the loo…"

A moment after Fred left, Harry and Ron sat down on the floor in front of me.

"So tonight's the night… Ginny threatened to rip my balls off if I don't go to her masquerade thing…" Ron said.

"Yeah… And she threatened to make me EAT them," Harry added, shuddering.

"So we both agreed that not going is worth the risk. If Ginny asks, we're both ill," Ron said, nodding to himself.

"Er, alright," I laughed. Well Fred and I are going anyway. Fred's actually excited, even though I can't think of a single why. I personally would rather rip my balls off myself at this point, but we have to go because we've already got masks and tuxedos." Ron and Harry looked at me funny. "Ginny," I assured them.

"Of course," They rolled their eyes. "Why tux's?" Ron asked. "A bit fancy for you, don't you think?"

"Yeah, but Ginny said we had to, so…"

"Amazing. Two badass sixteen-year-old blokes succumbing to the will of their thirteen-year-old little sister," Harry teased.

"And yo5u're telling me you don't think she'll follow up on those threats?" I asked, raising my eyebrows.

"Oh, no, I know she will," Harry confirmed. "I'm just saying it's funny that you two, of all people, are actually afraid of her."

"I'll bet you even Snape is afraid of her. That's probably why she never complains about him. Oh, hey, 'Mione, come here!" I called over Hermione, who had been walking by.

"Yes?" she asked, popping her hip out in a very un-Hermione-like fashion.

"Tell me darling… shall you be attending the ball with dearest Finn?" I asked innocently.

"What if I am?" she asked, cocking her head to the side.

"Well I dunno, what _if_ you are? I was just wondering, Merlin, someone's got a bit of an attitude today," I rolled my eyes. Hermione giggled, then cracked a smile.

"Well, yes, actually I am," she said happily. "I'm actually rather excited. I mean, the Yule Ball was fun with Viktor, but that's mostly because someone, or should I say _someones_, spiked the drink with an inhibition lowering potion," she glared at me. "But I'm legitimately excited this time."

"That's good Hermione," Harry smiled. "I'm not going to go, even though Draco really wants to. He was a bit upset when I told him, but he'll get over it. If Ginny asks, we're ill."

"You do know that she _will_ go upstairs and drag you down if she has to, right?" Hermione mentioned.

"Doubt it," I snorted.

"Yeah, Ginny wouldn't miss a second of her own ball," Ron added.

Hermione looked at the empty spot on the couch. "Where's Fred?" she asked.

"I dunno. He went to the loo almost ten minutes ago," I said thoughtfully. "He should be back by now."

"Is he alright?" Ron asked.

"Yeah, I think. Maybe I should go make sure he's not dead."

I excused myself, and walked to the bathroom. I pushed open the wooden door and saw Fred standing at the sink, staring at himself in the mirror. His eyes were red-rimmed and kind of glassy..

"Fred? Have you been crying?" I asked slowly. No answer. "Fred?" I asked louder.

"Hmmm?" he looked up at me.

"Have you been crying?" I asked again.

"No. Uh, I sneezed. My eyes watered up. That's all," he replied, waving the question away.

"Why were you staring at yourself?"

"I was admiring my beauty," he joked dryly. I am the better looking twin, after all."

"Right…" I knit my eyebrows. "Okay…"

O*O*O*O*O*O*O*O*

We still had an hour to kill before we had to start getting ready for the atrocity that was Ginny's masquerade ball. I didn't mean that the ball itself would be an atrocity, just that I would have an atrocious time. Fred and I were sitting on the couch in front of the fire place. I stared at the fire, running my left hand through my hair. A strand pulled out, and I examined it in my hands. Fred noticed, and tugged his bangs down in front of his face.

"Hey George," he poked my shoulder, still examining his hair. "We're so ginger," he laughed. I chuckled and nodded. Then he grabbed my shoulder and looked at me like he had had some great realization. "I LOVE the taste of us!"

"Excuse me?" I asked, perplexed.

"Particularly in cookie form, mind you," he said, ignoring me. I stared at him for a moment, letting his words work through my head.

"You're so weird," I laughed.

O*O*O*O*O*O*O*O*

Ginny sat on my bed silently criticizing me as I got dressed. I was wearing everything but my mask and jacket.

"You know, you could go without the jacket. The shirt-and-vest look is quite sexy," Ginny told me.

"That's not awkward coming from my sister or anything," I laughed.

"It wouldn't awkward coming from Fred," Ginny pointed out.

"That's different…" I slid on my checkered jacket and buttoned it up. It looked really good on me, which left me wondering how Fred's looked on him. What if he had gotten the same one as me? That would be awkward..

"You look stunning, George!" Ginny squealed. I took that as a most heartfelt and important compliment, since Ginny never squeals about anything. "Alright, so, Fred is already down in the Great Hall, because I don't want you to see him until the actual event starts."

"Merlin, Gin, you make it sound like we're getting married," I scoffed. "Relax, technically, he and I aren't even there together," I reminded her.

"Whatever you say… Now, how do I look?" I looked Ginny over. I wasn't really a fan of her dress, but I'd have to get over it. It was a deep red halter with a plunging neck line, a hem up to her mid thighs, and no back. She had a wide black belt around the waist and strappy black heels to match. Her mask covered only her eyes, like mine, and was black with red feathers coming off the top. If she was Hermione, I'd tell her she looked sexy. If she was Pansy Parkinson, I'd tell her she looked slaggy, but she's my sister, so I told her she looked beautiful. She beamed and led me downstairs. She purposely didn't have me get ready until seven so that we could be fashionably late, whatever that means.

We stood a ways away from the Great Hall, where the masquerade was taking place. Ginny left me standing in my spot so she could go enjoy her creation. This was it; the moment of truth. It seemed so stupid to be worked up over something so… so simple. Not the ball. No, I meant seeing Fred's tux. I almost didn't want to see it because part of me liked the mystery of it, but the other part of me wanted to see it. I shook my head and took a breath. I placed my mask over my eyes and shoved my hands in my pockets. I shook my head around a bit to try and mess my hair up a bit. Ginny had given me a haircut so that it wouldn't be quite as long. I didn't really care. It actually looked halfway decent. I walked slowly over to the door to the Great Hall, which were wide open. I peeked inside before entering.

Fred was standing inside in front of the doors. The tux he was wearing didn't look like anything he would ever wear, but oddly, it suited him, no pun intended. The jacket and trousers were pure white. The jacket was unbuttoned to reveal a bright, shiny, silk, reflective turquoise vest and a white collar shirt. He had a full length tie that matched the vest and was made of the same material. His shoes were white leather with white laces braided with turquoise. His mask was simple, but elegant (if 'elegant' is an appropriate wird to describe something belonging to a male). It was white and only covered his eyes. The edges and eyes were outlined in glittery turquoise, with an extra line of glitter coming down from the corner of his left eye, like a tear track. It was completely unlike him, but at the same time, only he could pull it off.

Ginny had decided to go with the Muggle music system, like the Yule Ball. I could see the stereo system inside, and I could hear the guitar notes and lyrics of a song I didn't recognize.

_**She eyes me like a pices when I am weak. **_

_**I've been locked inside your heart-shaped box for weeks. **_

_**I've been drawn in to your magnet tar-pit trap.**_

_**I wish you could eat your cancer when you turn back.**_

I entered the Great Hall and approached Fred. Merlin, he looked gorgeous. Maybe enduring the night would be worth it if I could just stare at him all night.

"Good evening, Mr. Weasley," Fred joked. "Ginny did a pretty good job, I must admit," he said. I had to agree, the Great Hall looked spectacular.

"She did, although she didn't have to keep us separate. For a moment, I was wondering if I should have written vows."

"I thought it was cute of her," Fred shrugged. "Holding out the surprise. Besides, who wouldn't want to marry me?" Fred smirked.

"Yeah, yeah… I love your tux," I commented, brushing invisible dust off his arm.

"Thanks, mate. I like yours too, fits you well. Physically and personality-wise," he added and I chuckled.

_**Hey, wait, I've got a new complaint. **_

_**Forever in debt to your priceless advice.**_

_**Hey, wait, I've got a new complaint.**_

_**Forever in debt to your priceless advice.**_

"Funny that she decided on Muggle music," Fred mentioned.

"I dunno, it was successful last time. Muggles have some interesting music. Plus, it's hard to book a band last minute," I pointed out.

"Yeah… Hey, there's Hermione!" he pointed across the room by the far wall. She was standing with Finnick, chatting with him and swaying slightly to the music (it was a slow-ish song). She was dressed differently than she was for the Yule Ball. Then, she was pretty, beautiful even. Now, she looked like Ginny dressed her, which she probably did. She wore an emerald green strapless dress with a diamond cut back. The hem went up to just above her knees. Ginny probably tried to get her into something shorter, but Hermione would never allow it. Her hair was down in tamed curls, splayed across her back. Her mask was black and covered her eyes and nose. There were shimmering faux-emeralds speckling the whole mask. Finnick, on the other hand, was wearing a classic black tux with a full face mask that was half black and half white.

It seemed everyone had the same idea of wearing a tux as opposed to dress robes to the ball. It was fitting though, because it seemed classier to wear a tux to a masquerade, even if the 'classy' tux you picked looked like mine or Fred's.

The first song had ended, and the next one had a faster tempo, and everyone started dancing.

_**Walkin' like a man, hittin' like a hammer**_

_**She's a juvenile scam. Never was a quitter.**_

_**Tasty like a raindrop. **_

_**She's got the look.**_

"Alright… So we're here. Now what?" I scratched the back of my neck.

"I dunno…" Fred muttered. We stood there for a moment, not really doing anything.

_**Heavenly bound, 'cause heavens got a number **_

_**When she's spinning me around.**_

_**Kissin' is a color, her lovin' is a wild dog.**_

_**She's got the look.**_

Someone began approaching us. He wore a maroon, full-faced mask, and a maroon and black tux.

"Care for a dance?" he asked, holding out his hand.

"I know it's you, Jilani," I rolled my eyes.

"Damn," he muttered.

"It's not even a slow song…" I rolled my eyes again. Fred was giving Jilani death glances.

_**What in the world can make a brown-eyed girl turn blue?**_

_**When anything I'll ever do I'll do for you.**_

_**And I go na na na na na, **_

_**She's got the look.**_

"So? There _is _such a thing as fast dancing you know," he said with a bit of an attitude. I squinted at him.

"I'm not much of a dancer," I said to him through gritted teeth.

"But you had no problem dancing with- never mind…" he muttered. "See you later then I guess," he sighed, and walked away.

"I don't understand him," Fred shook his head.

"You know, I think Harry and Ronnikins had the right idea in not coming. I'd almost rather be castrated than stay here," I said, sighing. It was rather awkward just standing there, especially after Jilani's appearance.

"C'mon, it'll be fun, we've just gotta get into it," Fred nudged me.

"Er, no thanks, I'm still trying to recover from the last time we just 'got in to it'," I said, annoyed.

"I should be the one saying that, Georgie, not you. I took more of a beating _that night_ than the two of us combined since then," Fred reminded me, gravely. "And I still want to be here. Lighten up a bit. We've only got one life, so we might as well live it!"

"I can't live my life if it's abruptly ended by a fellow student," I mumbled bitterly.

"Hush," Fred rolled his eyes "C'mon, a slow song is coming on, dance with me," he took my hand. "At least let ME have a good time."

"I dunno…" I tried to pull away, but he wouldn't let go.

"George," he smirked mischievously. "Just come on." I sighed in defeat and let myself be led. We maneuvered through the crowd of people into the center of the floor. The song that was playing was rather slow, so when Fred started dancing like an absolute idiot, I died a little inside, of laughter. He was jumping about, and flailing his arms. He looked so stupid, and it was so funny. He shot me a look that said "Come on! Join me!" I really wanted to just stand there and watch, but I agreed, and danced along with him. Couples were staring at us as we performed the ludicrous dance moves that we made up on the spot. Some people were snickering, but we didn't stop.

_**Coming sown, the world turned over.**_

_**And angels fall without you there.**_

_**And I'll go on as you get colder.**_

_**Or are you someone's prayer? **_

Two and a half minutes later, we were standing in front of the refreshment table, red-faced and grinning ear to ear. I could see Hermione and Finn doing an odd, wiggling two-step on the dance floor so they could talk without panting. Some couples were still slow-dancing even though it was a fast song.

"Having fun yet?" Fred asked, smiling. He took his mask off to admire it. I did the same.

"Almost," I replied.

"Only almost?" Fred nudged me.

"Yeah, only almost," I chuckled, putting one hand it my pocket and using the other to tap my mask against my thigh.

"Damn, I was sure that would get you going," he said, amused. "I thought you would find it amusing."

"It was expected," I offered a smile. He rolled his eyes. His gorgeous eyes…

"Yeah, yeah," he pushed me playfully. "You're such a pessimist. Be right back," he said, and wandered off. I took in the scene around me. The Great Hall didn't look the way it did for the Yule ball. In fact, it almost looked the same as always, except for a few changes made to make it look like a ballroom. The floors were charmed to marble, and the ceiling had a ballroom-esque look. There were also some decorative touches, like potted plants, and a fountain in the corner. Circular tables were placed along the edges of the room, where couples and friends sat and talked or ate. The dance floor was packed with couples, gaggles of girls, and small groups of boys. There were colored lights suspended in the air, basking everyone in blue, green, gold, and purple glows.

Fred returned with his mask on, and stood next to me. He moved his arm so that it was behind me and placed his hand on my shoulder.

"Jilani's coming back over here," he mumbled bitterly.

"Merlin…"

"Are you sure you don't want to dance?" Jilani asked hopefully, rocking on his heels. I was about to decline, but Fred spoke up.

"Just dance with him once so he'll shut up and go away," Fred muttered to me. I sighed heavily.

"Alright," I said bitterly. "ONE dance," I told Jilani. His eyes lit up, and I followed him to the dance floor. As the new song started, he immediately placed his hands on my waist. I sighed and gingerly put my hands on his shoulders.

_**No I can't take one more step toward you,**_

'_**Cause all that's waiting is regret.**_

How ironic…

_**Don't you know I'm not your ghost anymore?**_

_**I lost the love I love the most.**_

Oh, Merlin, I just wanted this song to end, be over, shut down, something! The way Jilani was looking at me made me want to run away and spend the rest of the night in the Black Lake. I made a point to look everywhere but at him, including at the people who were raising their eyebrows at us.

_**And who do you think you are,**_

_**Runnin' round leaving scars?**_

_**Collecting your jar of hearts**_

_**And tearing love apart.**_

"You hate me, right?" Jilani asked me.

"I don't hate you. I just… I'm frustrated," I told him, shrugging. "I hate _myself_ for what I did. And it's nothing against you personally. I just don't wanna risk anymore."

"It was my fault though, you were right. It was bloody out of line what I said to you in the common room that night," he said quietly, referring to the night we got into a physical fight.

"Yeah, well, nothing we can do now," I muttered. Jilani lifted and hand and brushed my hair out of my face. "Don't…" I said warningly.

"Sorry…"

_**And I have grown too strong**_

_**To ever fall back in your arms.**_

_**I learned to live half alive.**_

_**And now you want me one more time.**_

The song continued for a bit longer, then finally ended. I let go of Jilani right away, but he lingered. I went back to Fred, who had that glassy look in his eyes again. I asked if he was ok, and he assured me that he was, but I was skeptical to believe.

"So now that that's over, are you finally going to dance with me?" he asked, holding out his hand to me. I looked at him for a moment, then sighed and grabbed his hand.

"You owe me," I warned him with a smile.

_**You were a child,**_

_**crawling on you knees toward it.**_

_**Makin' mama so proud.**_

_**But your voice was too loud.**_

I dragged my feet on the ground as we walked to the dance floor just to annoy Fred, and he responded by keeping a death-grip on my hand. I laughed and pushed him with my other hand.

_**We liked to watch you laughing.**_

_**You picked the insects off plants.**_

_**No time to think of consequences.**_

In that playful second, I forgot why I hadn't wanted to go in the first place.

"Oi! Red-head twintastrophes!"

Oh yeah. That's why.

Fred turned around, and my whole body went rigid. '_Oh shit…' _

From there, it's a sort of blur.

It happened so fast that the next thing I knew I was pinned to the ground by a bloke in a white tux and a white mask. He pulled out his wand and smirked a me. I thought I was dead, but the words never escaped the bloke's lips because he was tackled by Fred. The white masked guy threw a spell in Fred's direction, but he ducked.

_**Control yourself.**_

_**Take only what you need from him.**_

_**A family of trees wanting**_

_**To be haunted.**_

Two more blokes show up, and the one in red came for me. I took my mask off and crammed it in my pocket as I scrambled up. The guy looked unarmed, which just left his fists, and Id rather get a bloody nose than take a face full of broken plastic. He swung at me but I caught his fist. While I was busy being proud of myself, he got me in the eye with the other fist. I hissed in pain and wrenched myself from his grip. I shoved him away, only to be snagged by someone else. A plant pot in front of me shattered, and both me and they guy holding me whipped out heads around to see Fred crouched down, scared to death, like he had just dodged the curse. Amazing how no one was doing anything… Since the guy in red was distracted, I swung at him.

_**Decisions to decisions are**_

_**Made and not bought **_

_**But I thought**_

_**It wouldn't hurt a lot**_

_**I guess not.**_

I got in one good swing, but things fell apart after that. I really don't want to describe what all happened, but we go the shit beaten out of us, and the whole time I felt like a world class douchebag because Fred never got his dance.

O*O*O*O*O*O*O*O*O*O*O

I sat with Fred at a table by ourselves. Fred was just wearing his shirt and vest without the jacket because there was blood on the sleeves where he wiped his face. I was having a staring contest with my shoes when a familiar song came on.

_**Anytime I need to see your face I just close my eyes**_

_**And I am taken to a place where your crystal mind**_

_**And magenta feelings**_

_**Take up shelter in the base of my spine**_

_**Sweet like a chica cherry cola.**_

"Of course…" I groaned.

"Oh wow… you look awful…" Ginny said as she approached us.

"Really? I was sure I looked absolutely ravishing? Is it my hair?" I asked, bitter sarcasm dripping from my words.

"Now I feel really bad for not helping you when I saw…"

"Woah, wait, rewind! You _saw_ us get our asses handed to us, and didn't do anything?" I asked angrily.

"Yes, but I had a reason."

"What reason could you possibly have?" Fred growled.

_**Ooh I want you,**_

_**I don't know if I need you but**_

_**Ooh I'd die t find out.**_

"Well I was hoping you would actually take my advice for once and stand up for yourselves, but obviously you didn't." She shrugged.

"Excuse me?" Fred jumped up angrily. "We fought back, we didn't just take it lying down!"

"That's called 'fight or flight'. You didn't actually do anything. You let them push you around, like always," she said harshly.

"Ginny how can you say that?" I asked angrily "You say it like we're just inviting them to do this."

"No, I'm saying it like you don't care! Like it doesn't matter, like you've given up!"

_**I'm the kind of person who endorses a deep commitment**_

_**Getting comfy getting perfect is what I live for**_

_**Then I look and then a smell of perfume**_

_**It's like I'm down on the floor **_

_**And I don't know what I'm in for.**_

"You are Fred and George Weasley, you are THE twins, THE pranksters, THE trouble makers, and you're running scared from a couple of boys who don't matter! No one knows them, no one cares about them and you're acting like they're Dementors or something. They suck the happiness out of you, but you don't do anything about it! I don't know what happened between last year and this year, but it's embarrassing to know that the two boys who spent the last five years kicking ass and taking names, my brothers, are losing their touch."

_**Ooh I want you**_

_**I don't know if I need you but**_

_**Ooh I'd die to find out**_

"Embarrassing to YOU?" I shouted. "How do you think this makes us feel? Huh? So what if you're embarrassed to be related to us? Being Fred and George Weasley isn't very fun right now. In fact, you could even say it sucks. You don't know the half of what we've gone through!" My voice cracked. "To give you a small glimmer of an idea, Fred's been on heroine since five o'clock." Fred looked shocked, and Ginny's jaw dropped. "Yeah, I could tell. Your eyes said everything," I scowled.

"You know…" Ginny said quietly. "None of this would have happened if you hadn't let those Hufflepuffs step all over you in the first place. Now everyone thinks you're a mat to be walked on."

"Shut up Ginny!" I shouted.

_**I don't need to try to explain**_

_**I just hold on tight**_

_**And if it happens again**_

_**I might move so slightly**_

_**To the arms and the lips and the face **_

_**Of the human cannon ball **_

_**That I need to**_

_**I want you.**_

"Ugh, George, this isn't working…" Fred said passively.

"What isn't working?" I asked quickly.

"This."

"What?" I asked panicking. "Fred?"

"George, I can't do this anymore."

"Fred, what are you talking about?" I was on the brink of hyperventilating.

"Maybe you guys should go back to the common room," Ginny suggested.

"Ginny! Shut. Up!" Fred told her.

"Don't turn on me! None of this is my fault!" she defended herself. I couldn't believe what I was hearing.

"Ginny, you are-"

"I'm what? Go ahead, call me names-"

_**ooh I want you**_

_**I don't know if I need you but**_

_**Ooh I'd die to find out.**_

"-But you have no one to blame but yourselves!"

"You're such a bitch!" I yelled, and I slapped her across the face.

_**Ooh I want you **_

_**I don't know if I need you but**_

_**Ooh I would die to find out.**_

"Oh my God… I'm so sorry…"

-oOo -

**A/N- Well, there it is. Chapter 33. It's way longer than usual. Or maybe that's because of all the song lyrics…**

**The songs featured were: Heart-Shaped Box by Nirvana**

** Black Balloon by The Goo Goo Dolls**

** She's Got The Look by Roxette**

** I Want You by Savage Garden**

** Kids by MGMT**

** Jar of Hearts by Christina Perri**

**All of these songs were chosen for a reason, even though some of them are not even close to the time period XD I chose them because they all relate to George in some way, and his relationships with Fred and Jilani.**

**Hope this chapter was satisfactory. **** REVIEW! :D**


	34. I've Seen Better Days

**A/N- I'm so sorry this took so long! I've just been so caught up in summer vacation… But now that This is up and done I'm going to have a lot more time to write, so hopefully updates will be faster. No promises though, because I tend to be unreliable. XD**

**- oOo -**

Chapter 34: I've Seen Better Days

"Oh my God… I'm so sorry…"

Ginny's hand flew to the rapidly blooming red spot spreading across her cheek. Her mouth hung open in disbelief. Then, she looked up at me with no emotion in her face, and stormed out.

I couldn't believe I had just done that. I hit her… I hit my little sister. Had it been anyone else, it would have been completely justified, seeing as what she said was completely out of line, but this was different; it was my sister. I regretted it immediately, but I didn't follow her. I had a feeling things wouldn't end well for me if I did.

A minute passed and I just stood there, unable to move.

"I'm going upstairs," Fred muttered, tangling his hand in his hair. I almost asked him not to go, but I kept my mouth shut.

I sat down in a chair at the table, Fred's bloodied up jacket hanging on the back of the chair next to me. I stared at the blood around the collar and thought about what had just happened. Had Fred just… dumped me? I don't know if technically it could be considered a "break-up", considering the situation, but still… what had he meant? I didn't want this little thing to end it, I mean, after last time- wait… Last time… Oh my God… There shouldn't have even _been_ last time! Ginny was right! What the bloody hell has happened to us between last year and now? We were letting people walk all over us, and that needed to change… I grabbed Fred's jacket and left the Great Hall, leaving everything that just happened there.

"Fred!" I called out as I opened up the portrait hole. No one was there. Not Fred, not Ginny, or anyone else. Apparently, _everyone_ else was at the ball. I tossed Fred's jacket on to the couch, took off my own, and let myself collapse on the couch. I stared at the fire, which made me think of Fred's comment on "how ginger we are". That was when I knew he had shot up. So much for being clean. I shook my head and took the jackets, and climbed the steps to the dorm. Fred was standing by his bed, changing. His dress clothes were in a pile at the foot of his bed, and he was in his boxers pulling a black tee shirt on. When he saw me, I tossed his jacket to him, and he scourgified it.

The dorm was empty as well. I figured everyone wanted to make the best of their last day before holidays. Oh Merlin, holidays… Holidays were supposed to be our two-and-a-half-weeks together, when we didn't have to worry about anyone else. Now, if Fred ended it…

"Fred, are we over?" I asked bluntly.

"I don't want to talk about this right now," he said in monotone. I walked slowly over to him, dragging my feet. I placed my hands tentatively on his waist, and kissed him softly on the lips. Seconds later, he pulled away and wriggled out of my arms.

"Fred…" I muttered.

"George."

"You're really going to let this start bothering you _now_?" I asked, irritated.

"Its always bothered me. Now I'm doing something about it, just like Ginny said."

"I- I don't think that's what she meant," I mumbled.

"It's all perspective," Fred shrugged.

"Fred, seriously, don't do this. I was thinking about what Ginny said, and she's right," I said, trying to deflect him from confirming the one thing I wanted to avoid.

"I know."

"But not like that! I mean that when she says we have to do something, we actually have to _do something_. They're making a big deal out of us because we're trying to fly under the radar, but if we make a big deal out of ourselves, we're hitting back! We'd be doing their work for them, so what fun would it be to them?" By this point I was grinning madly, I had grabbed Fred's arms, and I was practically shaking him.

"Er, that's good logic, but…"

"But what?"

"I dunno. I guess we have the holiday to think about it."

"Wait, what?'

"Well it seems like a good solution _now, _but every plan has flaws. Plus we'll have to wait until the end of the month to try so… until then…" He removed my hands and took a step back.

"Fred, you have got to be joking. If there was ever a time to forget consequences, act with out thinking, throw caution to the wind, and just stop caring, it's _now_!" No response. "I love you…" I tried.

"I know," he muttered.

Devastation hit me.

I just got dumped.

O*O*O*O*O*O*O*O*O

A bit after midnight, I was sitting in the common room on the sofa. I couldn't believe it… Just as soon as it began, it had ended. We were so close, we had made it so far for so long, and now it was gone. I shouldn't have expected it to last anyway. I mean look at us. We're twins. Brothers. It was incest. Twincest. It was taboo, wrong, whatever! I thought we would be the ones to break that! The ones to show that it didn't matter who you love or why, you could make it, you could last. But I was wrong, AGAIN. I knew we shouldn't have gone to that fucking ball, I knew it would be a bad night. I rested my head in my hands and let the full realization of my loss come over me, and I gritted my teeth. That's how he wants it? Fine, I can play his game. I didn't need him. These two weeks would be a breeze. Who cares if he didn't want me? I didn't need him.

I heard footsteps padding softly down the stairs.

"Hey," I heard.

"Hermione?" I asked. "When did you come in?"

"Hours ago… Right after I saw Ginny leaving," she told me.

"Oh. So you know what happened?"

"Yes. She's been crying nonstop… she just fell asleep," she said.

"Great," I said sarcastically. "The perfect end to the perfect fucking night."

"Judging by the blood, I'm guessing it was a bit short of perfect," Hermione said softly, running her fingers over my bangs, and gingerly touching my forehead.

"Far from. Firs, we got beaten up, me and Fred that is, as you can tell by my FACE," I began. "Then Ginny started saying all this garbage that got me pissed and I hit her, then, to top it all off, Fred dumped me," I finished.

"Oh my God… I'm so sorry…" she whispered, and I winced.

"It doesn't matter," I said flatly. "If he doesn't want to be with me, I don't care. I made it without him before, what's so different about now? I don't care."

"You're not fooling me, George."

"I KNOW! I'M NOT EVEN FOOLING MYSELF!" I shouted. "But what the hell else am I supposed to tell myself?"

"I'm sorry," she told me, and put her arm around my shoulders.

"I don't know what I'm going to do for the next two weeks," I grumbled. "After all we've done, now we have to sit around awkwardly and pretend nothing ever happened. It's all meaningless now. Hermione, he was my first!" I blurted.

"You're first what?" Hermione asked, confused.

"My first everything… My first time, my first kiss, my first boyfriend… pathetic, huh?"

"Wow, George… I never would have thought that-"

"That what? That I was a virgin up to this year? That I had never kissed anyone, r dated anyone for that matter? Shocker, I know. Contradictory to my sleazy, get-around reputation, eh?"

"Yes, but I think it's sweet," Hermione said quietly, and smiled.

"I'm glad you do, as apposed to everyone else. I don't know what to do with myself now…"

"Well, you just need to bounce back!" Hermione said cheerfully, and grinned.

I stared at her.

"Hermione, I don't have the emotional energy to call you a heartless bitch."

"You just did."

"Imagine that. 'Mione, I can't just 'bounce back'. It's not that easy."

"I managed it," Hermione said smugly.

"What, you mean with Viktor?" I snorted. "That is a completely different situation."

"How so? Fred is your brother. You think you're head-over-heels in love with him. Viktor is just a Quidditch player, who I, along with many other girls, thought I was head-over-heels in love with."

"…Point taken," I waved my hand. "How do you suggest I bounce back?"

"You are George Weasley!"

"Yes… We established that at my birth."

"Well you've got this stoic, nothing-can-get-me-down façade, so go with it! Pretend you don't care! Find someone else, anyone else! Fred will see how fast you got over him and he'll come crawling back!"

"Hermione, you're brilliant, and have the wonderful power of turning intelligence into evil heartlessness, but the reason he dumped me is completely unrelated."

"It doesn't matter, it works with anyone in any situation," she assured me.

"But holidays are starting."

"So? GO around St. Ottery Catchpole and play around with the Muggle girls," she said.

"Girls?" I raised my eyebrows. "Hermione, I don't know if you were previously aware, but I'm _gay_," I chuckled.

"I know! So it'll really mess with his head!"

"Merlin, Hermione! I think Ginny was a bad influence on you!" I laughed.

"It's for the better," Hermione laughed.

"Yeah, I guess. Do you think it'll work? I mean, what if he was… dead serious?" I asked worriedly.

"George, trust me. I'm a girl. I know these things," she said confidently.

"I'll take your word for it…" I said.

O*O*O*O*O*O*O*O

I ended up staying up all night with Hermione. I couldn't have fallen asleep anyway. When the sun finally came up, we went to breakfast at exactly six in the morning. When Fred came down an hour and a half later, he was acting like nothing had happened, the git.

"We're still sixteen right?" he asked.

"Yes…"

"And we're still in England, right?"

"Er… Yes."

"And unicorns still exist?"

"…Yeah."

"Oh. Well then it was all just a dream," he said, and laughed to himself.

"Not all of it," I muttered under my breath.

"I am SO glad we're on holiday now. Two-and-a-half weeks of nothing."

Hermione and I glanced at each other, and I pretended I didn't hear that last part.

"I know. I'm looking forward to going into the Muggle town."

"What the bloody hell are you going to be doing there?" Fred asked, laughing.

"Nothing important," I said off-handedly.

"Alright then," Fred shrugged. I shook my head angrily, but didn't say anything else about it. Hermione nudged me and grinned. While we were talking the night before, she promised to visit as soon as possible so she could help me with the Fred situation, which made me feel like the typical gay teenage boy. Merlin… At that point I could only pray that Hermione was right. I was planning to spend my whole break fooling around with girls. What had the world come to? What happens if he doesn't care? Or he gets mad? When talking about the worst case scenario, I decided that if worse come to worst, I would let it go, but I hoped it wouldn't come to that.

After breakfast the three of us went out to the front of the school to wait for the carriages to take us to the train station. It was rather warm for winter, and it hadn't snowed yet, which was strange, since it usually started snowing around November. There was a light breeze, just strong enough to move my bangs from one side of my face to the other. The Black Lake was shimmering under the sun light, and the grass was greener than ever. The sky was cloudless and bright blue, and I just knew it was mocking me. A beautiful day following a shitty night.

By the time the carriages arrived, I was getting tired. My sleepless night was catching up with me. I nearly fell asleep on the way to the train. Fred kept prodding me awake, and asking me if I was ok. I assured him I was fine, just tired. When we actually got to the train station, I nodded off just standing on the platform waiting for the Hogwarts Express.

"I feel like I need to just crawl under something big and dark, and just sleep for days," I said as I tried not to fall asleep in my seat on the train.

"Like a rock?" Hermione said.

"Or your sock drawer?" Fred suggested.

"That doesn't fit my description at all…" I yawned.

I fell asleep after that, which saved me a very awkward ride home. I was awoken by being thrown out of my seat and into Hermione's lap when the train came to a lurching stop. She blushed, and I got up off of her as quickly as possible. We shoved, and pushed our way throught he crowd of students in the train and stepped onto Platform 9 and ¾.

Two weeks of "nothing", here I come. This nothing will be the most awkward and unsatisfying nothing of my life. I have definitely seen better days…

- oOo -

**A/N- I started typing this at 10:00 pm yesterday night (California time) with half of it pre-written. It is now 6:04 am. I stayed up all night writing the rest. My 3 hour writer's block didn't help at ALL. XD I'm pretty disappointed that it's so short, but I am literally out of things to put in this chapter. Next one will be longer, I promise.**


	35. For the Days To Come

**A/N- Well imagine that, an update that didn't take a month. :D I liked writing this chapter, but I'm going to like the next few even more. **

**Oh, someone told me that the story is starting to lean too much to the drama end of the spectrum, and I apologize for that. I know the genre thing says Humor/Romance, but it's turning into a Humor/Romance/Drama. Sorry for those of you who don't actually like dramas, but that's just where it's going.**

**- oOo -**

Chapter 35: For the Days To Come

I couldn't help feeling like I had formed some sort of bond with Hermione. Staying up that night with her just talking made me realize how great she was. She wasn't just "bookworm Granger" anymore, she was a legitimate friend to me, and that was exactly what I needed.

When we got home, Ginny all but picked me up and threw me out of the way so she could go inside. Fred shot me a sympathetic look, but I ignored him. The first thing I did was go up to our room to look through my clothes. The room was drafty, and I saw that Mum had opened the window. I walked to my mahogany wardrobe and flung the doors open, grimacing at the clothes inside. They were alright, but if I wanted to pick up girls (which I really didn't), I would have to get some new stuff.

"I need to go shopping…" I muttered to myself.

"What for?" Fred asked from the doorway.

"Nothing important," I said off-handedly. Fred shrugged and came in. He fell onto his bed and made himself comfortable, with one hand behind his head, one on his stomach, and one leg bent. The bastard was getting even more attractive now. He was wearing a black tee-shirt and blue jeans. Now that his hair was an inch shorter, it didn't fall in his face the way it used to, but it laid across his forehead. I shook my head and continued looking through my clothes. I pulled out a black shirt and a blue button-up, and held them each up to my body. After examining them, I shook my head and tossed them both to the floor behind me.

"Woah, Georgie, you feel that?" Fred asked suddenly.

"What?" I asked, diverting my attention from the black slacks in my hand.

"Somewhere in the world, a gay man is donating some if his gay-ness to you to make that gesture seen less gay than it actually was," Fred told me, keeping a straight face until the end.

"Stuff it," I said, and rolled my eyes.

"Gladly," he smirked.

"Shut up!"

"Just saying.."

"So was I," I scowled.

"Right… Sorry."

I shut my wardrobe and decided that I would just have to go shopping today.

"So what are your plans for the rest of the day?" Fred asked. I turned around and cocked my head.

"I don't know," I replied, leaning against the wardrobe.

"Well you're just super interesting today, aren't you?" Fred said sarcastically.

"Super," I repeated. It really pissed me off that Fred was just pretending that nothing happened last night. I know it should be good for him not to be making a big deal out of it, but part of me wanted him to act different, to blow up, and to ignore me. Something that showed he actually cared, because right now, it seemed like he didn't. I would say I hated him for it, but that would defeat the purpose of me trying to get girls, which I wasn't really looking forward to.

"You alright, Georgie?" Fred asked, concerned-sounding as he sat up. I pushed myself away from the wardrobe and exited the room.

"Just fine," I called over my shoulder as I left. I went downstairs through the kitchen, and into the backyard. I went into Dad's shed where he keeps his Muggle stuff, and went for the safe. He doesn't use his safe as an actual safe, just as a container. I pulled on the handle of the safe, and the door opened easily, since he didn't have a combination set for the dial. Inside were stacks of Muggle money. It's a wonder why he never took it to Gringotts to exchange it for Galleons or something, but he doesn't do anything with it, he just collects it. Bill brings him some every time he visits, from the overflow accounts. He doesn't do anything with it, so he wouldn't notice if I were to take some. I picked up a short stack of bills, and filled the empty spot by taking some off the top of the others to put in its place. I folded the wad in my hand and put it in my pocket. I felt bad for stealing from him, but what he didn't know wouldn't hurt him, right?

I clomped back upstairs to get my Dragon-skin jacket, which was the nicest thing I owned, besides the new tux. Fred asked where I was going but I didn't answer.

We only had two fireplaces, one in the living room, and one in Percy's old room. I decided that if I was going to leave unannounced, I would have to use the one in Percy's old room. I entered the room and shut the door behind me. His room still smelled like ink, parchment, and lotion. I took a handful of green floo-powder from the jar on the dusty mantle, and stepped into the fireplace.

"Diagon Alley!"

When I came out of the fireplace on the other side, I dusted myself off, and headed for the brick wall not too far down, I pulled out my wand and tapped the bricks in order (I managed to convince Haggrid to teach me in my fourth year). The bricks shifted and turned, and opened to reveal the back alley behind the Leaky Cauldron. I waited until the wall had returned to its original state before entering the pub. I walked around the people standing around in the dimly lit room and exited through the front, stepping into Muggle London. There was snow covering the ground, and Muggles bustling around wore heavy coats and scarves. I'd only been into Muggle London a few times, and none of them alone. I looked around before determining the direction I would walk in. I moved slowly down the sidewalk, taking in my surroundings. There were all sorts of places I could go. Clothing store after clothing store lined the streets. I finally chose a place called Korosive, because I didn't want to wander too far. I stepped into the store, which was thankfully warm, and liked what I saw. It wasn't like the other stores I had passed, advertising their bright colors and crazy patterns. This store had darker tones, which I liked.

I began looking through shelves and racks, occasionally glancing at the posters on the walls, showing off models wearing the clothes they were selling. I walked over to a shelf that was holding jean. The little plaques under each pile read the style of jeans: Skinny, Straight-Leg, Bootcut, and Flair. I took a liking to the skinny style, and I took a black pair off the shelf.

There were fitting rooms in the back of the store, so I took the jeans and found a vacant room. I locked the door behind me and stared into the floor-length mirror. After a minute, I forced my eyes away and changed into the jeans. They hugged my legs tightly, but fit perfect at my hips. I looked at myself in the mirror with them on, and they actually looked really good on me. I smiled at myself, content. I put my own trousers back on and went back to the shelf to get two more pairs, so that I would have a pair of black, a pair of blue, and a pair of white. They were relatively cheap, in comparison to what I had, so it was ok.

The store smelled really good, like some sort of cologne. There were lights all over the store, but it still seemed sort of dark. All of the employees were wearing the store brand, and talking to customers.

The store carried a lot of flannel, so I assumed it was popular among the Muggles. I looked through all the colors before deciding on a red and black, and blue and grey, and green and white, and a black and white.

I was about to just buy what I had and leave, but another rack caught my eye. They were all V-Neck shirts in solid colors. I picked up a black and a white one, and intended on checking out then, but then I saw a white vest that I knew would look good with the black V-Neck, which reminded me that the black vest from the tux would look really good with the white V-Neck. The rack was next to a display of shoes and a hat rack, so I ended up adding a pair of red high-top shoes and a black fedora to the pile ij my arms, which was overflowing.

I'm sure I looked like an idiot standing in line with all that stuff, but I didn't care. I got what I needed. After buying everything, my purchases were put into four bags, and I still had money left over. I ran a hand through my hair, then paused.

An hour later, I exited a hair salon (don't judge) with what could quite possibly have been the best haircut I had ever received. Ginny had done a good job, but it had still been too long. Now it was trimmed up a tad shorter than it was last year, and my bangs were piecy and choppy across my forehead, becoming slightly longer at the left side. I looked maddeningly sexy, just saying.

On the way back to Diagon Alley, I stopped in one more store just to look, and ended up buying a pair of sunglasses. I don't know why… they just looked good.

O*O*O*O*O*O*O*O

"Why didn't you tell me you were going shopping? I would have gone with you," Fred said as I dropped my bags down on my bed.

"Sorry," I told him unapologetically. "I didn't think about it."

"Wait a minute, that's a Muggle brand…" Fred pointed out, inspecting the bags. He peeked inside one. "Were you in Muggle London?"

"Yes," I said.

"Where did you get the money for all this?" he asked, pulling out one of the flannels. I didn't respond. I stood by the window with my hands shoved in my pockets. "Merlin, George," he said after a minute. "did you get it from Dad's safe in the shed?" he asked quietly.

"Yes," I said guiltily. "But he doesn't use it, so he won't miss it," I said to him, trying to convince myself as well.

"Nice haircut," he said in a sarcastic tone, gesturing to my hair.

"Thanks," I rolled my eyes. I took the shirt and hung it up in the wardrobe along with the other flannels and the jeans. The V-Necks went in my dresser, and the shoes and fedora went in the bottom of the wardrobe. I put the sunglasses on top of my nightstand.

"What's all this stuff for anyway?" Fred as ked, eyeing my empty bags.

"Nothing important," I told him.

"That's what you said before you left," he replied, annoyed.

"I know," I said. "Because it's true.

"Whatever," Fred shook his head.

"Why do you care what I do and where I go anyway?" I asked bitterly.

"Well, why wouldn't I?" Fred asked, sounding almost confused.

"You _never _fail to amaze me," I shook my head incredulously. Fred just shrugged, frowning.

"Well, while you were gone, Hermione wrote to tell us she'll be here next week, a few days after Christmas," Fred said. He spoke dejectedly, like he was sad or something. He was just trying to make ME feel bad, the bastard.

"Thank Merlin…" I muttered.

"Seems like you've gotten rather close to Hermione," Fred mentioned. I detected a hint of jealousy in his voice, but what did he have to be jealous of?

"I have. She's helped me out a lot," I said.

"With what?"

"Everything. You know, she's not as bad as everyone in her year makes her out to be."

"I don't think anyone has ever outright said anything too terrible about her," Fred pointed out.

"I know, but you know what I mean."

"Yeah, I s'pose."

"Except for Ron though, in his first year," I remembered. "He said some pretty nasty things about her in their first year."

"True, but Ron never really has anything particularly good to say about _anyone_," Fred pointed out.

I laughed. "Yeah, but then again, we usually only talk to him when he's mad about something," I said.

"And _we're_ usually the ones who get him mad, so…"

"More often than not,"

"We're the ones he's talking bad about." That was the first time we had finished each others sentences in a while.

"I'm gonna go reply to Hermione," I said quickly.

"Alright, I'll be downstairs."

O*O*O*O*O*O*O

_**Hermione,**_

_**Thank Merlin you're coming so soon, I really need you here, because Fred is confusing the hell out of me. I would expect him to be avoiding me, or acting awkward or something, seeing as he just dumped me, and now we're stuck together here, but it's quite the opposite. He's acting like nothing happened. But I don't mean in a way that suggests he just wants us to both move on… He's acting as though, literally, nothing happened, and it's not just confusing, it's irritating. He's acting all upset and confused when I snap at him, and it really pisses me off. **_

_**Anyway, I went shopping today, and got a haircut, so hopefully I won't have too much trouble with the girls. I'm going to St. Ottery Catchpole tomorrow afternoon, so wish me luck. I'm ot really keen on trying to pick up girls, but you're right when you say it'll mess with Fred's head, and if I'm lucky, he'll get over himself and take me back. **_

_**Speaking of, when you get here, can you talk to him? Figure out what he's thinking, and why he's acting the way he's acting because I really want to know.**_

_**I'll be honest, if this planning doesn't work, I'll be devastated. You and Ginny are the only ones who really get how I feel about Fred, and the way I'm feeling right now. Well, maybe Ginny doesn't know how I feel right now. In fact, I don't think she even knows what happened after she left… Anyway, I just really need you here right now to talk to. I really love him, Hermione, he means everything to me. **_

_**I've been short with him all day, but I guess the best thing to do is just play along and act like things are normal. I'll be too preoccupied to be angry with him anyway, what with me pretending to be straight and all. We can only imagine how **_**that **_**will turn out.**_

_**Love,**_

_**George**_

_**-oOo -**_

**A/N- Well, there we are. I hope it was enjoyable enough to read! :D Review please!**


	36. Muggle Magic

**A/N- I saw the midnight premiere of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows part 2, and it was so amazing! Just blew me away completely. Neville was such a BAMF, just saying XD Anyway, seeing the bits with the twins made me want to write, so here we go, a new chapter! :D**

**- oOo -**

Chapter 37: Muggle Magic

The orange-ish light of morning shone through the slight separation in the curtains across the room, and I contemplated getting up, but then I decided not to, and slept for another two hours. When I did get up, Fred was still asleep, so I got up and left, trying not to wake him. I shuffled down the stairs of the Burrow and in my tee shirt and black pajama pants and strode in to the kitchen. Mum was just finishing up breakfast, and Ginny, Ron, Harry, and Dad were at the table eating. The only one not up yet was Fred. The two open seats were side by side next to Ginny, of course, so I occupied the one that left a chair between us.

"Morning, Georgie, dear," Mum greeted me cheerfully as she set a plate in front of me.

"Morning, Mum," I returned the greeting with a smile as I stabbed a forkful of eggs. I could feel Ginny launching glares in my direction every few bites, and I just wanted to curl up in a hole.

"Any plans for the day, kids?" Dad asked over the Daily Prophet. No one else said anything so I spoke up.

"I'm gonna go for a walk or something later… get some fresh air," I said. Dad grunted his approval.

"How was your little Masquerade ball, Ginny?" Dad then asked. "Did everything plan out alright?"

"Oh yes, everything was just perfect," Ginny said in a falsely happy voice. She shot me an extra menacing glare, and I winced.

"You boys have a good time?" Dad asked.

"Eh, yeah… It was alright," Ron muttered, and Harry quietly agreed.

"George?" Dad looked at me.

"Yeah, it was alright. I had a good time."

"Did you have a date?" Dad asked, a smile spreading on his face and he winked at me. I closed my eyes and sighed.

"No. Fred and I went... alone," I managed. "Doesn't matter though. We had a good time."

"That's good," Dad said, and returned to the paper.

"Oh, I'm glad it went well," Mum added in. I nodded with a tight smile. We continued eating in a thoughtful silence for a few minutes before Fred came shuffling down in his pajamas, rubbing his eyes, and trying to tame his manic case of bed-head.

"Why didn't anyone wake me? I sleep right across from you, George, you can't be _that_ lazy," he said in a groggy voice.

"I didn't want to disturb any… Pleasant, dreams you might have been having. You were mumbling things in your sleep, and I thought you might want to finish-"

"George!" Mum scolded me.

"Heh, I appreciate the thought, I suppose," Fred chuckled.

"I thought you would," I said over my glass of pumpkin juice. He sat down between me and Ginny and Mum summoned him a plate. He said his thanks and started eating. I didn't bother stealing any glances at him; it wouldn't do me any good. I just focused on my food, and where I would be going.

When I was done eating, I excused myself and jogged up the stairs, Fred following me up not too long after. I opened my wardrobe and pulled out the black skinny jeans, the green and white flannel shirt, and the red high top shoes and laid them on my bed. I then decided that if I was going to go anywhere today, I should probably take a shower, so I went down the hall to the bathroom. I turned the water on as hot as it would go and let it scald my skin. I washed my hair and body, but didn't get out right away. I liked the feel of the hot water on my skin. When I was satisfied, I turned off the water, and grabbed a navy blue towel from under the wooden counter of the sink. I wrapped the towel around my waist and exited the steam-filled bathroom back to my room. When I entered, Fred was laying on his bed. I dumped my dirty clothes in the basket by my dresser.

"You going somewhere today?" he asked.

"Yeah," I replied. I removed the towel from around my waist and used the side that hadn't touched my skin to scrub my hair dry. No matter how awkward things felt to me as far as this situation was concerned, being naked in front of him didn't bother me. He had the same set-up anyway, so there was no point in hiding.

"Where to?" he asked.

"Just around," I said, and tossed the towel in the basket as well. I pulled a clean pair of boxers out of my dresser, and slipped them on.

"You've been rather vague lately," Fred chuckled.

"I'd be more specific if I knew where I was going," I said. I pulled the jeans on next, and buttoned them up. Then I put the flannel on, and buttoned up all but the top two buttons. I rolled the sleeves up to just above my elbows.

"You don't know where you're going?" Fred asked.

"Nope. I'm just gonna walk around, I guess."

"You want some company?" He asked, sitting up. "I'll come along."

"That's alright. I just wanna have some 'me' time, you know?" I said, looking at him as I tied my shoes.

"Alright then," Fred said casually. I stood up, now fully dressed, and smoothed down my damp hair, making sure my bangs were the way they were when I first got the cut. "Wow, Georgie, you look really good," Fred said, grinning.

"Thanks…" I said, confused. He looked like he was about to get up, but I went for the door. "See you later," I stated, and left.

I padded downstairs, and was about to leave through the front door when Mum stopped me.

"George, where on earth did you get those clothes?" she asked, perplexed. Merlin, I forgot about that problem.

"Er, Hogsmeade. There's a shop there that sells Muggle clothing," I lied easily.

"Are you going in to the Muggle village?" she asked worriedly.

"Yes…" I said slowly.

"Alright, well… be careful dear. Don't draw too much attention to yourself," she said, and patted me on the shoulder.

"Don't worry Mum, I'm leaving my wand here," I said.

"Oh, no, dear, you really should take it, just in case."

"I'm not going to need it Mum, don't worry," I gave her a reassuring smile.

"Well alright… Isn't Fred going with you?" she asked.

"No, I just want some time to myself," I said quietly.

"IS everything alright?"

"Yeah, Mum, everything is fine. I want to be alone for a bit, to think."

"Okay… Well, have fun dear. Be careful."

"I will, Mum." I waved goodbye, and shut the front door. I let my breath out, and walked away.

**O*O*O*O*O*O*O*O*O***

St. Ottery Catchpole was a rather quiet little village, and it wasn't a far walk. The main area was scattered with random shops and restaurants, and not too far from there, there were a few Muggle neighborhoods. I walked slowly down the snow-covered sidewalk and looked around. There were only a few people outside; I assumed everyone else was either at home, or in the warmth of one of the buildings. I looked around at them, reading the signs hanging above them. "Brendan's Pub", "Maggie's Second-Hand Shoppe", "Arcade", "Food Lion", "Dory's Ice Cream Parlor". There were several other places but none really tickled my fancy. There was something called a Cinema not too far down, and it sounded interesting, but I had no idea what it was. There was a stationary shop, another pub, a few restaurants, and another grocery. Then, a shop came into view that caught my interest; "Magic Shoppe". I figured that would be a good laugh, so I crunched through the snow until I reached the door. I pushed it open, and a little bell jingled. The walls were covered in shelves holding their merchandise. I looked to the register counter, and saw a young-looking, black haired girl reading a magazine standing behind the register. There was no one else in the shop.

"Can I help you with anything?" Came the voice of the black-haired girl. She had put down her magazine and was looking in my direction.

"Eh, no, that's alright. I'm just browsing…" I said. She nodded and went back to her magazine. The shop was warm and welcoming. The wood floors were shiny, and everything on the shelves looked new. I went around the shelves, looking. There were decks of cards, top hats and "magic wands", shelves of books on how to do "magic tricks", sets of coin tricks, rope tricks, water tricks, and countless others. I picked a book up off one of the shelves, one that told how to do card tricks, and skimmed through it. I snorted quietly. This wasn't magic, it was illusions.

I put the book back, and shuffled up to the counter where the girl was standing. That's what I was there for, right?

"Must be a slow day, eh?" I said airily. She lowered her magazine and chuckled.

"Every day is a slow day here. We're lucky to get one or two customers per day," she said. Her voice was raspy.

"Really?" I raised my eyebrows. "That's a shame. Your products seem very interesting…" I said.

"I suppose. I don't really believe all that 'magic' baloney. It's all a matter of illusion and gullibility," she said, snickering.

"Oh really? You don't believe, even a little bit?" I asked teasingly.

"Why, do you?" she asked with a playful smirk, like she was daring me to disagree with her.

"I just believe in keeping an open mind," I said casually, with a smile on my face.

"Wise words from such a young boy," she chuckled.

"Hey now, I'm not THAT young. I'll have you know I'm sixteen," I told her, the way a six year old would tell his mum that he was a "big boy".

"I'm only yanking your chain, mate. That's how old I am."

"Where do you go to school?" I asked.

"There's only one school in the village, dummy," she laughed. "Are you trying to chat me up?" she asked slyly.

"Hah, sorry, I don't go to school around here, I wouldn't know," I said.

"I should have figured, since I've never seen you 'round here before. D'you live somewhere else too?" she asked.

"Yeah, not too far though. I've only been in the village once or twice, so I thought I'd stop in. Doesn't seem to have changed much, though, since the last time I was here."

"Yeah, nothing's changed in quite a while. Same places, fame families, so the same people. That's why we hardly get any people in here," the black-haired girl explained.

"Who is this "we" you're mentioning? I only see you," I inquired.

"Oh. Well technically my dad owns the shop, but I'm the only one who really works here. He counts up all the money and handles things of that nature, but I'm the one who physically comes in. I pretty much run everything, including inventory," she said casually.

"Wow," I nodded my head.

"It's a rare pleasure when people like you come in; it's rather lonely here."

"Well I'm glad I stopped in," I smiled. She smiled back, and looked at me for a koment.

"Have you been into town in London?" she asked.

"Once or twice," I shrugged.

"Well there's a club there, an under twenty-one club called 'Techno Jet'. I'm going tomorrow night, you should meet me there," she offered. It had been maybe fifteen minutes. Was I really that appealing?

"Sure, I'd love to. What time?"

"Around ten, if that's ok with your parents. My Dad is a bit of a drunk, so he doesn't much care where I go or when," she chuckled.

"It should be fine, I'm sure," I assured her.

"Great. Here, let me give you my number," she said quickly. She grabbed a torn piece of some sort of very thin, white parchment (which didn't look like parchment at all), and a plastic stick that she used to write with, and ink came out. Amazing, the things these Muggles come up with. "Here you are." She slid the non-parchment toward me, which had a series of numbers written on it.

"What's this?" I asked.

"My number."

"What number?" I laughed.

"My telephone number, silly, what else? Are you just trying to be cute?" she chuckled.

"Dunno, is it working?" I flirted.

"A bit, yes," she grinned. "I'll see you tomorrow night then?"

"Yeah, tomorrow night."

I turned to leave, but stopped. "Wait, I didn't catch your name," I said slowly.

"Kate," she told me with a warm smile. "Kate Baulderston."

"I'm Fred. Fred Weasley."

**O*O*O*O*O*O*O*O*O*O**

"So where did you end up going?" Fred asked when I returned. I unbuttoned my shirt and threw it in my dirty clothes basket, and flopped down on my bed.

"Into the Muggle Village," I said honestly. I closed my eyes and tried to convince myself not to run screaming from that girl's offer to go to that club with her tomorrow night. I still had her telephone number in my pocket, and I wasn't sure if I really wanted to go down to Dad's shed to use one of his telephones. I wasn't sure that I wanted to talk to that girl again at all. She seemed interested in more than just a friendly night at the club, and I was still unsettled by the idea of being romantically involved with a bird. I didn't want to get into something with her and end up chickening out, and having to explain that breasts aren't my thing.

"What did you do?" Fred asked casually. He was sitting at our desk writing prank ideas on a bit of parchment.

"I went into one of the shops. It was a magic shop."

"It was a what now?" I heard Fred's quill stop scratching the parchment.

"Well, it's what Muggles consider magic. It's really all just illusions," I explained.

"Oh," he resumed writing. "What were you doing in there. We obviously have the better brand of magic."

"Just looking. I ended up chatting with the girl who works there. She's our age, and a Muggle obviously."

"What are you doing chatting up girls, Georgie?" Fred snorted.

"I was only talking to her, not chatting her up," I lied. I contemplated telling him about the club, but decided against it.

"Just making sure," he chuckled. "Gay all the way, right?"

"Right, Freddie. Always," I laughed weakly.

"You gonna go back tomorrow? Ask her on a proper date, then?" Fred teased me.

"Shut it," I warned him, and threw my shoe at his head.

"I'm just fooling, Merlin," he laughed. He turned in his chair and threw it back at me. "Really though, are you going to see her again?" he asked.

"I dunno. Maybe," I responded, putting my hands behind my head. Fred shifted in his chair, and I squinted. He's been acting so weird, or rather, normal, I guess, and I just don't get it. The sooner Hermione gets here, the better. I rolled over so that I was facing the wall, and sighed, and Fred continued writing.

My mind drifted to what was sure to be considered a date but Kate, and I thought about it. If it was an under twenty-one club, then there wouldn't be any alcohol, since the Muggle drinking age is twenty-one, so I wouldn't have worry about being raped by her in a drunken rage. Then again, maybe that wasn't such a good thing, since I would probably want a drink to help keep my mind off the fact that I was on a date with a girl. There would be dancing obviously. I'm fine with ballroom dancing, since Mum gave us lessons when we were little, but this wouldn't be fancy dancing. I can do that too, but what if It's different with Muggles? What if they have a different style? I don't want to look like an even bigger idiot, since I already almost blew it when I didn't know what number she was giving me in the shop. Dancing is dancing though, so it's probably the same no matter where you go. The only part I was happy about was that I would get to wear that vest with the v-neck and my fedora. That really proves just how not straight I am.

"I sat up in bed and rested my bare back against the wall, and looked at Fred. He was twisting his fingers in his hair while he wrote. He always did that, it was a habit, and it was so cute. I exhaled.

"What's on your mind?" I asked.

"Everything," he replied, almost sadly. He heaved a sigh, and dipped his quill in the ink pot.

**- oOo -**

**A/N- I wrote this all at once off the top of my head. Hope it doesn't suck. XD **


	37. Don't Worry About It

**A/N- I'm glad I'm updating so quickly… Aren't you? :D**

**Here's some quick advertising: I recently published chapter one of a new Ron/OC fic I'm working on, so if you like Ron, you should check that out. I would appreciate it.**

**- oOo -**

Chapter 37: Don't Worry About It

_**Dear George,**_

_**If you're lucky, he's regretting breaking up with you, and is trying to get on your good side. Then again, you aren't really all that lucky, so I'm not really sure why he would be acting that way. It's not really like Fred to avoid things completely, so maybe you should look into that before I get there. If you find anything out, let me know. If not, I'll talk to him.**_

_**Where did you get the money for new clothes and a new haircut? Actually, never mind, I'm not sure I want to know. As long as you look good, and have girls falling all over you, you're good. I hope you picked out things that people actually find attractive. I'm not saying you have bad taste, I'm just saying that I've seen the way your dad dresses himself when he goes out in Muggle areas, so I hope you don't follow him on that. I'm sure you did fine though. You dress quite handsomely outside of school.**_

_**Don't even think about the plan not working, just focus on your goals, and what you have to do. Even if it doesn't work, we'll figure something out before school starts again. I know you love him, George, that's why I'm trying to help you. **_

_**Why don't you just talk to Ginny, by the way? I know it sounds like the typical 'girl answer', but talking works wonders. Just something to think about… I can talk to her too, if you'd like, but I really think it would be best if you resolved things as quickly as possible.**_

_**As far as pretending to be straight, you've been pretending most of the term, so you should be ok. I'm sure I'll have to end up getting you out of some sort of trouble though, by the time I get there. Merlin knows what havoc you'll have wreaked by then. **_

_**Love Always,**_

_**Hermione**_

When I finished reading the letter, I smiled. I had just received it at breakfast, and promptly removed myself from the table to read it. I placed it under my pillow so that I could respond to it later. When I went back downstairs, I took back my seat, and Fred asked who it was from.

"Just Hermione," I said, poking at my eggs.

"What'd she want?" he asked.

"Nothing, she just wanted to tell me a few things," I replied.

"Like what?"

"Nothing important."

"You've been doing a whole lot of nothing important, haven't you?" Fred chuckled. I appreciated that he didn't press any farther, or question me. I don't know what I would have said. "D'you want to do anything today? Work on products, play some Quidditch, anything?"

"Er, sure. Anything you're in the mood for," I shrugged.

"You're not giving me much to work with, Georgie," Fred nudged me. "Do you have _anything_ in mind?"

"Not particularly," I shook my head.

"Well then how about we go Christmas shopping?" he said quietly, so no one at the table would hear.

"Yeah, that sounds good," I nodded.

"Alright then," Fred said, and returned to his food.

After we finished eating, we went upstairs to get dressed. I threw on a white tee-shirt with a black V-neck sweater over it, and a pair of blue jeans. Fred wore the same outfit, but his undershirt was red. He went for his dresser and pulled out a small bag of coins.

"I've got the money from our quills," he said.

"You mean you didn't spend it all?" I asked without thinking, then clapped my hand over my mouth. "I'm sorry, that's not what I meant, I just-"

"No worries," Fred shot me a crooked grin, and pocketed the money. I exhaled.

We told Mum we were going to Diagon Alley to look around, and used the fireplace in the living room to floo. We came out on the other side into the snow, and started walking around. We decided that we would stop at the Quidditch store for Ron's gift, and we entered the shop. It smelled like leather and new broomsticks. I loved it. Ron's favorite team is the Chudley Cannons, so we shopped around for something he might like. We settled on a pair of fingerless Quidditch gloves with "Chudley Cannons" stitched onto the back of each one, along with the team crest. He's been complaining about how he needs gloves for when he's flying, so we hoped this would get him to shut up about it. We got Harry's gift there too; a snitch, so he could practice when we played or before games. It was a decent one, so he could use it throughout school.

For Mum and Dad, we headed off to get them wand cleaning/care kits, since they used their wands A LOT.

I wanted to get Ginny something good; in hopes that maybe she would stop hating me. I know I shouldn't try to buy her love back, but it sounds a hell of a lot easier than talking to her. I figured it would be a good idea to go down to Honeydukes first, since the key to every girl's heart is chocolate. While we were there we got her some special dark chocolate frogs, because dark chocolate is her favorite, and a bouquet of sugar roses to go along with it. We grabbed some dark chocolate truffles on the way to pay as well, and requested that it all be put in a wrapped basket. We were about to leave, but I made Fred wait so that I could go back and get a pack of sugar quills for Hermione. Once we were done there, I dragged Fred to Flourish and Blotts to get Hermione's gift. I looked around until I saw something I thought she really might like: an astrology-themed stationary set. It came with parchment that had different planets in the corners, cards with star constellations on the front, envelopes that listed all of the astrological signs, two quills, and black and blue ink. Fred came up to show me the book he had picked out for her: **Ten Fail-Safe Ways To Charm Wizards**. ("C'mon, she needs it").

Once all the gits were purchased, we hopped down to the Leaky Cauldron to grab a drink before heading home. We shrunk down the items and slipped them in our pants pockets before we went inside so that no one would see what we had gotten. We went straight up to our room to wrap. We labeled each one right after we wrapped it that way we wouldn't confuse who it was for, as well as who it was from. When they were wrapped, we stowed them away under our beds. I decided that I would have to go shopping for Fred's gift before the end of the week. I wasn't sure what I wanted to get him though. I've never had a problem deciding before, I always got him something from Zonkos, and that was that. I didn't want to do that this year though, I wanted to change it up, but how? Should I buy him something, or make it? Funny or serious? Meaningful, or useful? I didn't even know what he wanted, or what he needed. Christmas sex would be fine by me, but I doubted things would be resolved by then, so I had to think fast. I would have to worry about it later; it was three O'clock, and I was debating whether or not to call Kate. There was no _reason_ to call her. Then again, I'm sure Muggles don't always have a reason to phone each other. I made up my mind that I would call her… before I left to meet her in London. But what if it was too late by then? I didn't want to anger her dad. I mulled over it for a while longer. I shouldn't have had so much trouble deciding, I mean, it was just a girl. Finally, after an hour of arguing with myself, I decided to call her. I went downstairs, through the kitchen, and into the back yard. I took my time walking to Dad's shed, and slipped in.

Dad has a few Muggle telephones, because he likes to take them apart and see what they're made of and how they work. Lucky for me, he had one that he had not touched yet, so I pulled it toward me. It was plugged in and everything, so I guess he was experimenting calling random numbers or something. It had a round thing on the front with numbers written into circles. I tried pushing them, but they didn't push in or anything. I had to play with it for a few minutes before I figured out that I had to rotate it. I had taken Kate's phone number out of the pocket of my jeans from yesterday before I came so I pulled it out of my pocket. I put the number in and held the hand-held part up to my ear and waited. The weird tone that buzzed in my ear startled me a bit, and I wondered if I had broken it. Before I could make the decision to hang up, someone answered.

"Hello?" I heard Kate's voice. Oh my God, Muggles invent the most amazing contraptions.

"Hello?" I said tentatively.

"Who's this?"

"Geo- er, it's Fred. Is this Kate?"

"Oh! Hi, Fred!" Kate sounded happy to hear from me, and I grinned.

"Hi, Kate."

"So how are you? You're still coming tonight, right?" she sounded like she was smiling.

"I'm fine, and yes, I'm still coming tonight. How are you doing?" I assured her.

"Oh, I'm alright, I suppose. It's funny that you called, because normally I would be in the shop right now," she giggled.

"Oh, well why aren't you there now?" I asked.

"Eh, I didn't really feel like going in today. It's not like we're losing money or anything, since no one really comes in, so I just decided to keep it closed today. Dad didn't care, because he was piss drunk by ten this morning," she told me casually.

"Hasn't anyone told him that you shouldn't drink alcohol in the morning?"

"I'm sure someone has, but he's never been one to listen," Kate said airily. "So why did you call?" she asked.

"O, um… Well I don't really have a reason. I just wanted to call," I said slowly.

"Aw! Well that's sweet of you, Fred, I'm glad you called," she said happily.

I felt my heart drop when she said Fred's name. "I'm glad I called too," I told her.

We ended up talking on the phone for a good two hours, about the most random things. She told me about how her mother passed away when she was a child, and how her dad hasn't been the same since. I told her about my family and siblings, but didn't tell her I had a twin. When she mentioned her pet dog, and asked me if I had any pets, I told her no, because I wasn't sure how well owls and rats would go over with her.

"Uh oh, Fred, I have to go," Kate said suddenly.

"Why? What's wrong?" I asked.

"My dad's just woken up, and he's yelling at me to get cooking with dinner," she said in a hushed voice. The loud voice yelling vulgar slurs in the background proved her right, and I let her go. She hung up, and there was a _click. _I hung up as well, expecting Mum would have dinner ready by now, and would be wondering where I was.

"Hey, George, where've you been?" Fred asked when I sat down at the table.

"Just in the back yard," I said nonchalantly.

**O*O*O*O*O*O*O*O***

_Should I risk leaving through the front door? Or should I just leave through the window? _I thought to myself as I stood in the middle of the bedroom. I was all dressed up in my white skinny jeans, black V-neck shirt, White vest, red shoes, and my black fedora, with my bangs laying just so across my forehead. I was trying to decide whether or not to sneak out through the front door. I didn't really want to risk the noise it would make, plus I would have to pass Mum and Dad's room on the way, as well as Ginny and Hermione's. I decided it would be easier to go through the window, since we were only on the second level. I opened the window, and made to stick one leg out, when Fred came in from his shower, with only a towel on.

"Where the bloody hell are you going, George?" Fred asked with a red toothbrush in his mouth.

"Nowhere important," I said, hoping he would leave it at that. He gave me _the look_. "Just cover for me if anyone comes looking for me, ok?" I said, pleading with my eyes.

Fred shrugged. "Alright…" he said, and waved me off. I thanked him in a whisper about a million times as I climbed out of the window. I let go of the ledge, and let myself fall to the grass below. The drop was a bit longer than I had anticipated, but I didn't get hurt. "Wait!" Fred yell whispered from inside, then poked his head out the window. "Arent you taking your wand?" he asked.

"I won't need it," I assured him.

"Where are you going that you won't need your wand?" he asked incredulously.

"Don't worry about it!" I hissed. He looked at me in a way that made me want to cancel this whole outing and just stay up there with him. He looked… heartbroken? That can't be the right word. But it seemed to fit. He looked down at me sadly, and as he turned away to go back, he muttered something that sounded like "…never tell me anything anymore?" It took a deep breath and everything I had to turn away from the window and walk away. A moment later, I heard something hi the snowy grass. He had tossed my wand out after me. I let out a breathy laugh. He cared.

It was only nine-thirty, but I had purposely left the house early because I wouldn't be using the floo. I crunched my way to Dad's shed, and looked for the most useless looking thing I could find, which was hard, since just about everything looked pretty useless. I stumbled over one of Dad's many rubber ducks, and decided that it would have to do. I pulled out my wand, suddenly quite glad that Fred has given it to me, because I had forgotten I had to do this. I took a deep breath, and let out a string of spells and enchantments. It took five straight minutes of talking to enchant that duck to be a portkey. Yeah, I knew how to do that. It's a long and complicated story, but let's just say that I will go to all lengths to get revenge when Ron tries to pull a prank of his own on me. I set the time for five minutes after that moment. I sat and waited, touching myself up as I sat, smoothing out my clothes, fixing my bangs, and such. When the duck glowed blue, I grabbed it, and was transported to the back alley of the Leaky Cauldron. I ditched the duck, and walked through the pub, and out through the front.

I looked up and down the street of Muggle London for any signs of where the club might be located, but there were no giveaways. I tapped the shoulder of a Muggle woman who was passing by.

"Excuse me, do you know where a club called, er… Techno… Jet is?" I asked, glad I was able to remember the name of the club.

"Right down that way," the woman pointed across the street in the opposite direction. I thanked her and went on my way. I knew I was close when I saw a flashing blue sign that said "Techno Jet" in blocky lettering. Kate was waiting outside. She wore a torn up, bright green shirt (which revealed quite a bit of her hot pink bra), torn bright blue jeans, green sneakers, and a single pink fingerless glove. Her arms were covered in multi-colored bracelets, and her har was down and now wavy-looking. She looked nothing like the modest girl I met in the shop. Good lord.

Oh, Fred!" she shouted, and waved. I waved back, and walked the rest of the way to her. "I'm really glad you made it. Are you ready to go in?"

"Yeah, let's go." I could already hear music pumping from the outside, so when we opened the door, it was like a slap in the face; everything was so loud. Music was blaring, the room was dark, and everyone was dancing with sticks of colored light. Some people had glowing jewelry as well. My white jeans and vest appeared luminescent. "Wow, it's loud in here," I shouted over the music.

"Of course! Haven't you ever been to a club before?" she shouted back. I shook my head. "Well don't worry! I'll show you a good time!" she grinned at me, and her teeth glowed. She grabbed my hand and pulled me to the dance floor. She threw her arms around me, and danced energetically. I tried to keep up, but she was too fast for me. She laughed at my crazy moves, and I laughed at hers, and before I knew it, three songs had passed. "Come with me, let's get a drink!" I nodded, and she led me to a bar. Being that it was an under twenty-one club, I was shocked to see a variety of alcohol behind the counter along with all the juices. I brought this up, and Kate explained that people brought alcohol in all the time, and usually donated to the bar. I shrugged, and looked at the selection. None of the alcohol really looked familiar, so I asked for water. "Come on, get something exciting!" Kate grinned at me.

"I dunno…" I trailed off, and she shook her head.

"Nuh uh, you're not leaving this club until you've got something strong in you," she told me. I rolled my eyes, and looked at the drink menu. I decided on something called a Midnight Martini. I had no clue what it was, but the bar guy said there was vodka in it, which I had heard of as a Muggle alcohol. He handed me the drink after mixing it, and handed Kate her drink as well. It didn't really taste all that good, so I only took a few sips. Kate, however, downed her drink, and then ordered another. We sat at the bar long enough for Kate to down three drinks before she suggested we go dance again. That girl was crazy.

The music was so loud, I could feel the beats vibrate through my chest. Kate was obviously drunk, and had her hands all over me. I tried to still her hands, but she just wouldn't stop. I figured there was nothing I could do, since she was liquored up, so I let her go. She pulled off my had and ran a hand through my hair. She pulled me down so that her head was next to mine.

"Did I tell you that I LOVE your hair?" she asked, whispering in my ear. I gulped, getting nervous.

"Uh, n-no, you didn't," I stuttered, my eyes darting around the room to nowhere in particular.

"Well… now you know," she said seductively, and then she kissed me.

Her mouth tasted like alcohol and cranberry juice, and it wasn't really all that pleasant. Not just because of the alcohol taste, but because, well… she was a girl, and I didn't swing that way. She was starting to get rough with the kiss, and I felt awful. I was letting some girl mouth-rape me, while he was at home, not knowing where I was. That's why I was here though… pick up girls, THEN let him know where I've been, and make him jealous. That didn't stop me from feeling like I was committing some sort of crime, though. When she started grabbing on my pants, I decided that was enough, and I pulled away.

"Sorry, sorry," she slurred. "That was too far, I know." I shrugged uncomfortably, and said I forgave her.

"Don't worry about it," I said.

I sucked in a deep breath, and kissed her back.

**- oOo -**

**A/N- DUN DUN DUN! I really liked writing this chapter… I hope you liked reading it.**

**I was listening to "Let It Rock" by Kevin Rudolf while writing the club scene, so listening to that might help set the mood for ya. **

**Don't forget to review!**


	38. Don't Trust Me

**A/N- Oh my… I am quite excited for one of the chapters coming up. :D **

**Quick shout out to Sxcsami for leaving me an awesome review, as always. I love reading your reviews, because they are long, and make me smile, so THANK YOU!**

**As a warning, there's lots of F bombs and dialogue… so yeah.**

**- oOo -**

Chapter 38: Don't Trust Me

_**Dear Hermione,**_

_**Is it at all possible that you can get here before Christmas I'm pretty sure that you talking to Fred yourself will be more effective than me trying to hook up with girls, because the latter is very awkward.**_

_**I went down to the village, just like I said I would, and met a girl named Kate (who, ironically enough, works in a Muggle magic shop). I talked to her for a bit, and she gave me her telephone number and invited me to go with her to some Muggle dance club. I called her last night and we talked for a while. She's quite nice… Her dad's a drunk and leaves her to do most everything around the shop and her home. It's really sad; she's only sixteen, like me. Anyway I went down to the club with her, which was insane, and Kate ended up getting plastered and kissed me, which was not at all pleasurable for me. Please don't forget that I'm not doing this for entertainment. When am I supposed to tell him anyway? And how much do I reveal?**_

_**I had to make a portkey to get to where I was headed, but I don't think I can do that every time I sneak out. It's too long a process. I had to floo back after, since I hadn't planned enough ahead to make another portkey, and I'm probably just going to floo there and back from now on, even though I'll risk getting caught, just because it's easier. I really need to learn how to apperate…**_

_**I am now fully convinced that **_**something**_** is up with Fred. He's acting **_**way**_** too… normal. It's like he's hell bent on fucking with my head. Yes, I know, saying that makes me a hypocrite, but our intentions are different!**_

_**I've been thinking about what I should give him for Christmas. I don't have any ideas. I don't know, this situation is making everything weird.**_

_**Honestly, if you can get here before Christmas, please do. Mum would be thrilled… PLEASE!**_

_**Love,**_

_**George**_

Once my letter was sent, I banged my head on the desk and sighed loudly. I heard the sound of coiling springs, and I knew Fred was getting off of his bed. He put his hands on my shoulders.

"You alright?" he asked softly.

"Yeah, I just had a late night," I muttered against the wood of the desk.

"Speaking of that, how late did you come in? I tried to stay up and wait for you but I fell asleep around one."

"Around three, I think," I groaned.

"Merlin, George, where were you?" Fred asked worriedly.

"I told you Fred, it's nothing you have to worry about," I said harshly.

"Honestly, George, I'm offended that you aren't telling me. I'm your brother, your twin, and furthermore-"

"Relax, Fred!" I cut him off. "Everything is under control," I assured him.

"Really? Because if this is under control, I'd hate to see things out of control. You're sneaking out, not getting back 'till late, keeping secrets from _me,_ of all people, and you look even more depressed coming back that you did before you left! Are you sure you have everything 'under control'?" Fred shouted angrily, and crossed his arms.

"Yes, I'm sure! Merlin, Fred, you don't need to know where I am every second of every day! When did you become my fucking keeper? Just trust me!" I shouted, and jumped out of my chair.

"How the bloody hell am I supposed to trust you when you're acting like this?" he threw his hands in the air. "The fact that you're hiding things from me only leads me to believe that you've gotten yourself in some sort of major trouble, or that you're-"

"Did you ever stop to think that maybe I'm not telling you where I'm going because maybe I don't want you coming with me?" Woah, where did that come from? "That maybe for once, I want to do something on my own? And you know what? I'm GLAD you aren't there with me! Forgive me for relishing in the fact that I don't have to spend every fucking moment of my life with you!" I yelled.

Angry tears were leaking from Fred's eyes. His expression was a mixture of anger, hurt, and confusion, and some sick part of me was _glad_ to see him like that.

"Fuck you," he spat. "Fuck you! I am so over this!"

"Over what? It's been over for days!" My voice cracked. I kicked the desk chair out of anger.

"What the fuck are you talking about?"

I ignored him, and sat on the edge of my bed with my face in my hands. I heard Fred let out an angry breath, and walk away. I was breathing heavily, trying to calm myself down, but nothing was working. I stood up, and paced around the room, thoughts jumbled in my head. I stopped. He didn't trust me? Fine, I'd _really_ give him a reason not to trust me.

**O*O*O*O*O*O*O*O*O***

I knocked on Ginny's door the next morning.

"Piss off, George," I heard Ginny's muffled voice.

"How did you know it was me?" I asked.

"Because you knocked like a pansy! Piss off!" she shouted at me. I shrugged. Well, I gave it a try, so Hermione can't get on my back about that. She had sent me a letter back telling me that her parents agreed to let her come on Saturday, two days before Christmas, and three days from now. I walked away from the door, and saw Fred approaching me.

"Hey, George, I'm sorry about what I said yesterday," he said remorsefully, with a hand on my shoulder. I couldn't look him in the eye.

"No, it's ok. You had every right to say what you did… I was out of line," I told his fringe.

"No, you don't need to be sorry, I shouldn't have been prying. I'm sorry I've been trying to force it out of you, you don't have to tell me if you don't have to. And I'm sorry for saying I don't trust you, because I really do." He smiled at me apologetically. Oh God, oh God, oh God…

"Oh… Well, thank you," I mumbled. He patted me on the shoulder, and walked toward our room. _Shit_… Now I _really_ felt bad. He wouldn't be apologizing if he knew what I had been doing yesterday. I leaned against the wall and sighed, pulling my hair. As soon as I got home I had sat in the shower for nearly three hours because I felt like I had rolled around in a mud pit. I felt _dirty_. Like, _really dirty_. When it was happening though, it felt good. Not in a pleasurable way, but it felt good to be spiting Fred like that. Sure, when I got home, I regretted it a little, but I still felt like I had hurt Fred in some way, and that's what I had wanted because I was so angry at him. Now, I wasn't mad at all, he apologized, and I regretted it more than anything in my life. I kept telling myself that it was for Fred, to get him back, but I really didn't want to tell him about this, and I was starting to doubt Hermione's method. I sucked in my breath, and then slowly let it out. The sooner I got things rolling, the better.

I shoved my hands in my pockets, and put on my "cool and confident" look. I sauntered into our bedroom and leaned against the wall opposite of Fred.

"So, uh, I decided that you're right. About me not telling you where I've been going, that is, so… I'll tell you," I said casually.

"You know, you don't have to tell me just because of what I said last night. If you don't want to tell me, you don't have to.' he said, looking at me with a slight smile.

"Well, I want to. I shouldn't be keeping secrets," I said. I slowly gathered my breath. "I've been seeing someone," I said finally, exhaling. The look on Fred's face ripped my soul apart.

"You've been… seeing someone?" he choked out. As much as it pained me to see him like that, at least I knew he was jealous, and it was working.

"Yeah, a girl."

"Oh," his expression softened, and he looked… almost amused. Shit.

"Yeah, we've been seeing each other a lot." What a stupid lie. I've been seeing her for a day and a half. Fred must've thought it was stupid too, because he smirked.

"Oh really?" he asked. "Doing what, talking?"

"That's one way you could put it," I forced myself to grin like a guy who just got out of an orgy. A "got game" face, I guess. I nodded my head to a non-existent beat. "She's a Muggle, so there really wasn't much to talk about…"

"Wait, she's a Muggle?"

"But as they say, actions speak louder than words," I continued, pretending I hadn't heard him.

"What?" Fred looked confused. Then his confused expression morphed into realization, then disgust, then hurt. I steadied my breath. "Oh… Well… You should be careful…"

"Should have told me that before I-"

"I don't really wanna hear about the details," he said quietly, tearing up. I wanted to take it all back, everything I said, everything I did, and just rewind time and try just talking instead. It was too late, though; the words were out, what had been done was done, and Fred was crying again, and I felt like a monumental asshole. I wasn't sure whether or not to be happy that Hermione's plan was working. Was this even how it was supposed to work?

Fred looked at me for a moment, tears streaming down his face, before turning on his heel, and slipping out of the room.

Well, at least now I was pretty sure he regretted dumping me.

"Ah, shit," I muttered to myself.

**O*O*O*O*O*O*O*O*O**

"Ginny! Ginny, Open up, please!" I banged on Ginny's bedroom door like there was a fire at my heels.

"I thought we went over this," Ginny said angrily from behind her door.

"Seriously Ginny, I need to talk to you RIGHT NOW!" I shouted. Silence. "Ginny!"

"Merlin, alright, alright," Ginny grumbled as she opened her door. I stormed inside and started pacing the room. "What do you want, George?" she asked bitterly.

"First of all, I'm sorry I hit you. I was out of line," I began. "Second of all, after you left Fred was upset and said he was over everything and left so I went up to the dorms to talk to him and I asked if he was breaking u with me and he said he didn't want to talk about it and so I told him I loved him but he didn't say it back and he dumped me so I talked to Hermione about it and she said that while I'm here should chat up and fool around with some girls to fuck with his head and make him regret it so I went to the village and met this Girl named Kate and she's really nice so I went to a club with her and she kissed me and I kissed back and we fooled around and I came home and Fred was up my ass about where I've been going and he was mad that I wasn't telling him anything and I blew up and said some awful things and he said some pretty bad stuff too and I was really angry so I went off to the village and found Kate and did something that I really don't want to talk about but when I got up this morning Fred apologized and I felt really bad so I decided that the sooner I get him to regret it the better so I told him what happened and now he's crying and I don't know what to do HELP ME!" By the time I finished talking I was panting and out of breath. Ginny looked at me with a blank expression, and for a split-second, I was sure she was going to tell me to get out and not help me at all.

"Wait, slow down… Fred dumped you?" she asked, and I breathed a sigh of relief.

"Yes. And Hermione came up with the 'brilliant' plan to get him back, which consists of me pretending to be straight," I repeated. "It worked, as far as making him jealous and making him regret it, at least I think so, but the problem now is that he's bawling his eyes out in some unknown place, and I feel like an asshole."

"Well you should, it was stupid to do that. Are you sure Hermione came up with that?" she raised her eyebrows.

"Yeah, every word of it," I said matter-of-factly.

"I'll have to have a talk with her when she gets here…" Ginny said off-handedly. "Doesn't sound like her… Anyway, is that… all?"

"Well, I forgot to mention that up until now, he's been acting completely normal, like nothing happened," I added.

"Shouldn't you be thankful for that? He's sparing the week of awkwardly shuffling past each other, and not sitting with each other at dinner," Ginny looked at me like this should have been quite obvious.

"Well, yeah, but it's not like that. I mean, he's been acting like literally, nothing happened. Like he doesn't remember any of it."

"Well, I don't really know what to tell you, other than maybe to talk to him directly instead of all of that 'messing with his head' business. You're making it more complicated than it needs to be, and I'm surprised that Hermione didn't take that into account," Ginny shrugged. "It's probably because of all that stupid stuff she has going on with Finnick and Krum. I swear, as soon as someone shows any interest I n her, she tries to blow everything up…" she added. I shrugged in response.

"I guess. I dunno if I want to talk to him straight away though. Maybe I should wait a bit… He's still really upset," I groaned.

"The sooner the better," Ginny prodded me.

"Hey, I've also been thinking about his Christmas gift. I have no idea what to get him, and I'm going mad thinking about it."

"Something from the heart," Ginny said. "It sounds cliché, I know, but it always works. Or if you don't feel like being sentimental, get him something funny. Go to Zonkos. I don't know George, you're fairly smart, you'll think of something."

"Thanks, Gin," I smiled, and leaned in to give my sister a hug. She hugged back and patted me on the shoulder.

"Oh, and by the way," she started as I opened her bedroom door to leave. "If you ever hit me again, I will hex you bad that your adopted children ten years from now will feel it," she said in a calm voice, followed by a bright and shining smile.

"I know," I said with a grin. "I know."

**- oOo -**

**A/N- Well, there we have it. Chapter 38, for your viewing pleasure!**

**So, What should George get Fred for Christmas? Something heartfelt? Something funny? A combination of both? If you have suggestions, believe me, I'm open to them **

**Hope this chapter wasn't too boring. A bit of it was just filler, but I really wanted to get it out since I've been on a roll with updating. **

**Anyway, remember to review! They make me happy! :D**


	39. No Matter What

**A/N- So excited for an upcoming chapter… :D I have decided on what the twins will be getting each other, and they are both freaking amazing. George's gift to Fred is revealed in this chapter, but Fred's to George is a secret until the Christmas chapter. I'm going to try to update one more time this week, but If I can't, I won't be able to update again until late August because My cousin us coming in from Colorado for a week, then after that, I'm flying to Maryland for a week. Hope this one is good enough to hold you over. **

**- oOo -**

Chapter 39: No Matter What

_**Dear Hermione,**_

_**You have no idea how glad I am that you'll be here tomorrow… I'm on the brink of insanity. I have so much to tell you. I know I could tell you in the letter, but I'm too lazy to write it all. I will say, however, that I apologized to Ginny, and tried to get her to help me, but ultimately, it all comes down to me, and I have no faith in myself. **_

_**Yesterday I went back to Techno Jet, against my better judgment, of course. I didn't tell Kate, because I wasn't really in the mood to see her; I just went by myself. It was just as crazy and crowded as last time, but less awkward because I wasn't with Kate. Several girls, and even some blokes asked me to dance, but I politely declined because I didn't want to mess anything else up. You should have seen Fred when I told him what I've been doing. He was so upset, and he was crying. At least you were right when you said it would make him jealous, but now I regret saying anything.**_

_**I know exactly what to get him for Christmas to make it up to him though. It's probably illegal, but I don't care. I don't want to tell you what it is ye because I want it to be a surprise. I'll have to get it in Muggle London because I can only afford it in pounds. I'm sure that if I get on his good side between now and then, everything will be perfect. I decided on something straight from the heart with a funny introduction. Nothing can top this, and it'll prove not only my love, but **_**our **_**love. Sounds cheesy, I know, but it always starts that way. The whole thing is sort of cheesy, really.**_

_**I feel like complete shit because that was the third time in my life that I've ever seen him cry, and the last two were my fault. He's always been the emotionally stable one, and I reduced him to tears. Merlin…**_

_**I'll never forgive myself if this is over for good, and where would that leave me?**_

_**Love,**_

_**George**_

I set down my quill and rubbed my eye with my palms. I sighed heavily before sending the letter off with Hermione's owl. I had to decide whether or not to get Fred's gift today, or the day after Hermione arrived. Today would be better that way I wouldn't have to rush myself.

I pushed the chair back across the wood floor, and stood up. I walked to my dresser and opened the sock drawer, and pulled out the Muggle money I had left. I counted it up, and it came out to about one hundred pounds. I wasn't sure if that would be enough, since I didn't know how much diamonds went for in the Muggle world.

I threw on some jeans and my blue flannel over my black tee-shirt. It was around eleven in the morning, so breakfast was over and no one would be in the kitchen, except maybe Ron. I stepped in, and surprisingly, Ron was not there. I opened the door to the backyard and stepped into the snow. I was going through options in my head; metals, stones, and subtlety. While I thought about this, I wondered what Fred would say if people saw it. Something mysterious, I'm sure.

I stepped into the shed and wandered to Dad's safe. I opened it up and pulled out a few of the higher marked bills. As I closed the safe, I heard an obnoxious "brrriiiiiiinnngggg" echo through the shed. It was coming from the telephone on the work bench; the one I had called Kate on. I hesitated before answering.

"Hello? I said tentatively.

"Fred! Good God, I've been calling left and right, but no one has picked up!" Kate's raspy voice filled my ear.

"Oh, er, sorry, the telephone isn't really in a place for me to hear it," I said.

"Oh, well that's alright," she said cheerily. Oh, Merlin.

"So, uh, what's up?" I asked, hesitating.

"Nothing really. What are you up to?" she asked. "Do you want to do something?" She seemed to be asking suggestively.

"Actually, I'm about to go out and get a Christmas present for someone. It's rather important," I told her.

"Ooh, what is it?"

"A ring," I said.

"For who? Your Mum? Or your sister?"

"For my boyfriend," I said outright. "And my name isn't Fred. It's George. Fred is my twin brother. I said I was him because I felt bad about cheating on my boyfriend and I thought that if I pretended to be someone else it wouldn't be as bad…" I trailed off. I knew it was big to dump on her, but he needed to know, and I didn't have any reason to continue with her anyway.

"You're boyfriend? So you're…"

"I'm gay, yeah," I admitted. I kicked the leg of Dad's workbench uncomfortably. "And I'm sorry I lied," I added. There was silence, and for a moment, I thought Kate had hung up on me.

"Then why did you- did we… why did we have—"

"I'm so sorry, Kate, it's a long story that I don't have the time or energy to tell. You're one of the nicest girls I've ever met, and I did everything for all the wrong reasons," I said, exasperated.

Kate hesitated before saying, "So we… aren't together, then?"

"No, not like that, anyway. I'm sorry."

"Oh… Well, I guess I should let you go get that ring," She mumbled dejectedly.

"I'll try to call you later," I told her.

"Oh," she sounded brighter. "Well, alright. I'll talk to you later then," she said, a bit happier.

I hung up the phone and took a breath. I shook my head, and headed back to the house.

**O*O*O*O*O*O*O*O**

There were a few jewelry stores in Muggle London, so I walked into the nearest one. A woman behind a glass counter with a white-collar shirt and black heels greeted me when I entered. The store smelled _clean_. It was weird. Glass cases along the walls and below the counters held all sorts of jewelry, from watches and cufflinks, to bracelets and earrings. I walked across the shined wooden floor to a case displaying rings. I was lucky not to have to choose between birthstone or diamond, since the April birthstone IS a diamond. Most of the rings I saw were rather plain, with the occasional eye-catching one, but none really peaked my interest. They were basically the same; sterling silver band with a diamond on top in the center. I didn't want plain, plain wasn't good enough.

"Is there anything I can help you with?" I turned around to see the woman who had greeted me before, hands folded in front of her. She had light brown hair tied up in a ponytail, and he nametag read "Courtney".

"I need a ring," I said dumbly.

"Is there a specific type of ring you're looking for?" she asked patiently.

"Yes… an… an engagement ring," I said slowly, finalizing my plans. Suddenly, my heart was pounding in my ears, and I felt my face heat up.

"You look a bit young to be looking for something like that," she said, and looked at me coyly. I didn't know what to say. "I imagine you must be serious, though, if you're looking for a ring. Lucky individual," she rubbed my shoulder. I was glad she didn't assume it was a girl. In fact, her statement left the position open to _anyone_, which I appreciated.

"Yeah. I want something out of the ordinary," I said. "Something unique."

"Diamond?"

"Yes," I chuckled.

"I think I have something you may be interested in," she winked.

I followed her to a display case near the middle of the store, where a diamond necklace rested on its mannequin head. She unlocked the case with a silver key that was hanging around her neck, and reached inside, past the necklace, and grabbed a ring that was laying on the blue velvet covered bottom. After she locked the case back up, she handed me the ring.

It looked like three silver bands crossing through each other. Each band was encrusted with tiny diamonds, and at the top, there was a spot where two of the bands separated and the third crossed underneath. On that third band, rested a decently sized diamond. It was perfect.

"Er, how much?" I asked hesitantly. "Courtney" grinned, and massive numbers formed in my head.

"Lucky for you we are having our annual Christmas clearance sale, so this ring is on sale for five-hundred pounds," she said happily.

Sale or not, that's a lot of money, and I didn't have enough on me.

"Would you be able to hold that for me while I rum home to get the money?" I asked, hoping to Merlin that she would agree.

"Of course!" she exclaimed.

"Excellent," I beamed. "I'll be right back, then," I said.

I sprinted down the streets of London, down to the Leaky Cauldron, to the fireplace, and floo'd back home. I clomped down the stairs from Percy's old room, past the living room, into the kitchen, out the kitchen door, and slammed it shut behind me before I went through the backyard. When I got to Dad's shed, I was panting and sweating despite the cold. I rushed to the safe, opened it, and stopped. Someone had been through it, someone other than me. A lot was missing. I mean, there was still plenty left, but it was a noticeable difference. I took what I needed (no point in moderating at this point) and slammed it shut.

**O*O*O*O*O*O*O*O**

I sat on my bed with a red velvet ring box in my hand. I opened it, closed it, then opened it again. The ring was amazing, the perfect thing for Fred. Of course I knew that if Fred were to say no, then it would have been a giant waste, but I was willing to take the chance. I loved him, and I would do anything to prove it.

I heard footsteps approaching, and I shoved the box under my pillow in case it was Fred. It was.

"Hey, I love you, bro," I said as soon as he walked in. It kind of slipped out, and it caught him by surprise.

He stopped and looked at me. "Love you too," she replied, smiling a confused smile. I'm not sure of he took it the way I meant it, or in just a brotherly way, but he didn't start yelling at me, so I didn't care.

"Hermione's coming tomorrow," I told him, not really knowing what else to say.

"Early? That's good. Ginny'll have someone to talk to now," he chuckled.

"Yeah. Oh! Speaking of Ginny, I had a chat with her," I said happily.

"Ok?"

"Yeah, so we're good now, she's not angry with me anymore."

"Angry?" he looked at me like he had no idea what I was talking about.

"Yeah…" I knit my eyebrows.

"Alright then," Fred shrugged. As much as I wanted to asked, I resisted the urge, and just let him act weird.

"I'm rather excited for Christmas," I mentioned, thinking of the box.

"Oh, me too!" Fred lit up. "I really wanna give out gifts," he added, grinning, and I knew he had something up his sleeve.

"Yeah, and It'll be nice to have Hermione. Harry, Ron, and Ginny'll have something new to do," I said casually.

"That doesn't sound wrong or anything," Fred snorted.

"You know what I meant," I chuckled and threw my shoe at him. He laughed and caught the shoe. He tossed it back to me and sat in the desk chair. He started doodling on a sheet of parchment and sang something under his breath.

"_It's the bitter taste of losing everything I've held so dear. I've fallen, I have sunk so low. I messed up, better I should know. So don't come 'round here, and tell me I told you so."_

"What're you singing?" I asked.

"Just a Muggle song I heard," he said. There was something about the way he said it. He sounded far off, like he was reminded of something.

"Where did you hear it?" I inquired.

"Nowhere important," he said. He smiled when he said it, like he was teasing me, but his voice was serious, like he wanted me to get a taste of what I had been telling him.

"Alright," I shrugged, smirking.

"Be right back. Going to the loo," he said, and exited the room. I waited a few seconds after he left before getting up to see what he had been drawing. I leaned over the deske and peered at the parchment to find that he had not been drawing; he had been writing.

_**I don't get it.**_

_**Forgive me.**_

_**I regret it.**_

_**I messed up.**_

_**I can't stop.**_

_**Don't give up on me.**_

_**I love you.**_

_**I'm sorry.**_

_**No matter what.**_

**- oOo -**

**A/N- Sorry it's kind of short, but adding anything else would be unnecessary. I want to update again before my two weeks of not updating, but I don't think I'll get the chance. I'll try really hard, though. I'm staying up all night tonight to try band crank out another chapter. If I finish writing it, I'll type it up tomorrow.**

**While I'm gone, I'll still be writing. Hopefully this will be a chance for me to get ahead of the game so I can write a few chapters and have them ready to type when I get back. Until then, I hope to update tomorrow. If not, I'll see you in a few weeks! **


	40. How Could I Forget?

**A/N- Ok, so this is probably going to be my last update for a while. So I hope this is enough to hold you over! **

**IMPORTANT AUTHORS NOTE AT THE BOTTOM**

**- oOo -**

Chapter 40: How Could I Forget?

_**I don't get it.**_

_**Forgive me.**_

_**I regret it.**_

_**I messed up.**_

_**I can't stop.**_

_**Don't give up on me.**_

_**I love you.**_

_**I'm sorry.**_

_**No matter what.**_

Was he talking about dumping me? He had to be. What else would he be talking about I resumed sitting on my bed, and the springs creaked beneath me.

He regretted it, and he was sorry. He wanted forgiveness, and he loved me. He knows he messed up. But what did he mean by "I don't get it", and "don't give up on me", and "I can't stop"? What couldn't he stop? And why did he just leave the parchment lying there like that? Did he want me to see it? Maybe he was messing with my mind. Maybe he didn't actually think about it, and just left without thinking anything of it? Maybe he had assumed I would know what he meant? Or maybe I was reading too far in to things. Maybe the words didn't mean anything… But how could they not? They must have been weighing really heavily on his mind for him to be absent-mindedly jotting them down like that.

I heard Fred's footsteps approaching, and soon after, he entered the room.

"Forgot to say, I won't be here tomorrow to greet Hermione," he said as he sat back down. He crumpled the parchment on the desk and tossed it into the rubbish bin next to it.

"Where will you be?" I asked.

"You'll see," he winked, grinning cheekily.

"Can't wait," I snorted. "I'm sure Hermione will be delighted to know that she's not important enough to you to have you here waiting for her arrival," I joked.

"She'll get over it, I mean, it is ME we're talking about," he gestured to himself. I laughed.

"Right. She probably won't be expecting you anyway, right?" I rolled my eyes, but smiled nonetheless.

"Now you're catching on," Fred smirked.

"I'll bet," I shook my head. He just looked at me with that look that I never could decipher. He looked away quickly, as though he had held his gaze for a millisecond too long. I didn't look away.

**O*O*O*O*O*O*O*O**

When I woke up in the morning, Fred was already gone, and Hermione was occupying his bed. She was propped up against the wall reading a book. This was to be expected, of course.

"Wow, Fred didn't waste any time getting out of here, did he?" I asked aloud, my voice thick with sleep.

"Well I got here around seven, and he was already gone, so I guess so," Hermione said, peeking at me from over her book. "Where did he go?" she asked.

"I dunno," I replied, and sat up. The room felt rather cold, and I saw that Hermione had opened up the window. "He told me yesterday that he would be gone, but he never specified where he would be," I told her. I pulled my blanket up around my naked torso in attempt to get warm. Hermione seemed just fine.

"Hmmm… alright then. You said in your letter that you had a lot to tell me… I'm ready when you are." Hermione sat up and set her book aside.

I went into an in-depth explanation of everything that had happened while we had been home, telling her _everything_, even Fred's weird glance-then-look-away thing from last night. It hurt emotionally to recount all of this, but I didn't want to miss anything. Once I finished my explanation, Hermione was quiet, like she was thinking.

"You told him about what you had been up to? Where you were sneaking off too?" she asked.

"Yeah."

"And you told him about your… activities, with Kate?" she asked.

"I strongly hinted at it," I grimaced, and I felt my face heat up.

"And despite knowing all of this, HE apologized to YOU?" she inquired. I nodded my head. "What all happened the night of the Masquerade?"

"Well we were sort of just hanging out before we had to get ready, but then Fred excused himself to go to the loo. You came around asking for him, so I went and checked on him, and it turns out he had been shooting heroine, I could tell by his eyes.," I said ruefully. "Then Ginny got us ready, we met in the Great Hall, we hung around for an hour, then we got our asses kicked, then Fred said 'it wasn't working out', I slapped Ginny, Fred dumped me, and you know the rest. So now, here we are," I sighed.

"George…" Hermione looked as though she had just had an epiphany. "He shot up," she said.

"Yeah, so?" I shrugged.

"He was on Heroine the whole night," she said, looking pointedly at me. I still didn't know what she was trying to get at, so she sighed, frustrated, and said, "Fred didn't break up with you! He was high the whole night, he probably doesn't remember anything!"

My jaw dropped.

How could I have forgotten that he had been high that night? I had known all the time, why hadn't I thought about that after he "dumped" me? Then it dawned on me that the words he had been scribbling yesterday were not about him dumping me; they were about his addiction. I felt so stupid.

"Hermione, you're a bloody fucking genius!" I exclaimed, and leapt off the bed and bounded over to hug her.

"Language, George," she berated me, but with less intensity than she normally would have used, and hugged me back. "I almost can't believe you didn't think of that," she said. I could practically hear the eye roll.

"Only almost?" I smirked. She laughed.

"You do realize what this means right?"

Damn straight! It meant that Fred and I had been together the whole time! I went from being excited about the news, to disappointed that we had wasted so much time, to nauseous, because I realized that technically, I had cheated on Fred with Kate. That was why he got so upset when I told him; to him, we were never broken up, and he thought I cheated on him for real. This explained so much, including his odd behavior. Now that I think about it, in his eyes, I was the one acting weird.

Suddenly, I became paranoid that Fred had gone out to do the same thing to me, and that that was why he was gone today. I wanted desperately for him to return.

"Hermione, you have no clue how great this news is," I told her. I went back to my bed and reached under my pillow. I pulled out the ring box and held it in my palm. I sat next to Hermione on Fred's bed and handed her the box. She opened it up, and gasped.

"Oh my God! You're going to propose!" she whisper-screamed. She hugged me so tight I thought she would crack one of my ribs.

"Calm down, 'Mione, it's not _you_ I'm proposing to," I rolled my eyes, and snorted.

"I know," she hit my shoulder. "This is just so exciting! You're going to ask him to marry you! That's probably what you meant when you said it was probably something illegal," she added, recalling my letter.

"Yeah, but it's the thought that counts," I shrugged. "D'you think he'll say yes?"

"Why wouldn't he?"

"I can think of a few reasons…" Kate came to the front of my mind, and I grimaced.

"Oh, hush," Hermione slapped my arm. "I'm sure that once you explained everything, it'll all be fine. He'll understand completely. After all, he's more at fault for being high in the first place," she reminded me.

There was a knock on the door, followed by a bed-headed Ginny. She was still in her PJ's, and she looked as though she had just woken up.

"I thought I heard your voice, Hermione," she yawned.

"Oh, yeah, I forgot that Ginny wanted to talk to you," I said.

"Yeah. First of all, what the bloody hell were you thinking? Telling him to go off with some girl to get back at Fred," Ginny threw her hands in the air to emphasize her words, since she couldn't risk raising her voice. "You're supposed to be the smart one, Hermione, and that was a really stupid plan."

"I know, I know, Ginny, I don't know what I was thinking," Hermione shook her head. "I guess I was just so excited that someone came to me with relationship advice that I got carried away, and wanted to use those stupid plans that I read in the teenager novels. The only advice people ever want from me is what topic to write their essay on, or note-taking strategies."

"Imagine that," I raised my eyebrows. "The almighty Hermione Granger made a mistake. It's the end of the world!" I flailed my arms.

"Shut up, George," Hermione and Ginny said in unison.

"Hey! That's mine and Fred's bit!" I scolded playfully. Ginny rolled her eyes, and Hermione chuckled.

"Well that's all I had to say," Ginny said. "Let's go get breakfast. Mum's in the kitchen cooking right now."

We exited the room, and went downstairs to eat. I felt considerably lighter, going down the stairs, probably because I was free from all the worries that had been weighing me down since I got here. It felt good to know that things could now go back to normal.

"Hello there, Hermione," Dad greeted her as we sat down at the table. He obviously hadn't been awake when she arrived. "How're you, darling?"

"Oh, lovely, thank you for asking," Hermione replied, smiling sweetly.

"George, dear, where's Fred?" Mum asked. She waved her wand to zoom plates to all of us new arrivals.

"Dunno," I shrugged. "All he told me last night was that he would be gone all day," I told her. Mum sighed, worried.

"Oh, I wish he would have at least told one of us where he would be. It worries me when you two go off alone like that," she said with knit eyebrows.

"Only them?" Ginny raised her eyebrows. "So If Ron and I wandered off and didn't come back for three straight days, you would be fine?" she challenged.

"That's right. We are her favorites after all," I stated.

"Hardly," Ginny snorted.

"Oh, you know what I meant dear," Mum chimed in. I laughed and started eating.

After breakfast, Hermione and Ginny both joined me in my room, and Hermione pressed me to show Ginny what I had gotten for Fred. I agreed, but only after Hermione explained her discovery about me and Fred technically being together still. Then, I pulled out the red box, and revealed the ring. Ginny reacted much the same as Hermione did, which was rather amusing, since she rarely acts in such a way. She snatched the box out of my hand and looked at it closely, asking if they were real diamonds. When I confirmed that they were, she was bouncing off the walls with excitement.

"I suppose you'll be proposing in private then, right?" she asked. "No watchers?"

"Sorry, Gin, that would be awkward on too many levels," I snickered. Hermione grinned and lightly pushed Ginny. "I'm also not doing it on Christmas day. There's no way I can give him that in front of Mum and Dad. I'm gonna give it to him Christmas eve, and then the next day, I'll say I'm taking him out for his gift," I explained.

"That's a good idea," Hermione complimented.

"Thanks, I've got a million of em," I winked. Hermione shook her head, amused.

"I wonder if Fred's out getting your gift," Ginny wondered aloud, and set the ring box down on the desk.

"He said he'd be gone all day, Gin, what could he possibly be getting me that would take him all day?"

"You never know…" she replied mysteriously. I got the feeling that she knew exactly what he was doing and what he was getting. I wanted to press her on it, but decided against it. After all, if he _was_ getting my gift, I didn't want to ruin the surprise. Well, that's what I wanted her to think anyway. I shuffled dramatically to my bed and collapsed upon it, the bed springs creaking under my weight. I rolled around a bit before coming to a stop face down with my head touching the wall, one arm over the side, and the rest of me curled into an awkward ball of George Weasley. That's just how I roll, whatever that means. Hermione started to ask what I was doing, but I shushed her, and told her to bask in the glory of my awkwardness. She did as she was told… and then left my room. She just couldn't handle the mass amounts of pure awesome that I was churning out.

Lunch and Dinner rolled around quickly and uneventfully. I didn't really do much all day except talk to Hermione and Ginny, and laze around in the living room, staring at the fireplace, waiting for Fred to return. I had actually started dozing off around seven, as I had been laying there for a few good hours, but the roaring sound of the fireplace jolted me up. Fred was back, finally, and he was empty handed. I didn't think much of this, though. If he had been out shopping, he probably shrunk his bags and hid them in his pocket or something. Then, of course, there was the possibility that he was just being his normal self and decided that Hermione's arrival would be a good day to take off for himself. The later sounds pretty accurate.

Fred gave me a half wave, and immediately ran off upstairs. I didn't follow him, just in case Ginny was right, so I continued laying splayed out on the couch. Then I remembered:

The ring box was still on the desk.

Shit.

**- oOo -**

**A/N- So it turns out, my cousin can't come out next week, which leaves me an extra week of writing before I go off to Maryland. **

**IMPORTANT! If anyone out there is good at art and drawing, or just likes to draw or do digital art or anything of that sort; painting, sketching, coloring, ANYTHING: I really want someone to draw me some fan art and send me the link to it, or email it to me or something. :D I can't draw to save my life, but I know there are a lot of good artists out there. If you can't, then ask your friends, because I really want some fan art :D If you are interested, just pic a scene from the story, and bring it to life! I would be so appreciative. And I would LOVE YOU FOREVER! PLEASE! XD**

**That is all. Thanks! **


	41. So, Do You Like It?

**A/N- A few things… One, THANK YOU SO MUCH to ****ajremy9898 ****for agreeing to draw fan art for me! She has already started, and it looks awesome :D Thanks also to ****NanoNoxi****, whose review I just read, and they said they're going to start drawing right away. :D I feel Loved. **

**Two, Around the middle of the chapter, they type turns bold and italic, which is when the use of the song Yellow by Coldplay begins. LISTEN TO THE SONG while you read. If you don't, it's just not as good. This chapter need that song. So when the type starts **_**looking like this**_**, Start listening to Yellow. It has the lyrics incorporated, so you know at what pace to read. I wrote that part in a specific way while I listened to it, and I know everyone reads at their own pace, but follow the lyrics O.O' lol. **_**Lyrics look like this.**_

**Anyway, HERE WE GO!**

**- oOo -**

Chapter 41: So, Do You Like It?

I panicked, and I couldn't force myself to move. Fred was practically _flying_ upstairs, and the engagement ring was sitting on the desk, right in plain view. OH MY WIZARD GOD, what was I supposed to do? Saunter casually upstairs and nonchalantly slip the box in my pocket? Yeah… that sounded good… I tore out of the living room and tripped up the stairs, taking them three at a time. I burst through the door of our bedroom with enough force to cause it to hit the wall with a loud _thud_, scaring the living hell out of Fred in the process. I didn't bother second-glancing the bags on his bed; I just snatched the ring box off the desk, and booked it out of there. I almost fell down the stairs because I was moving so fast. I came to a near screeching halt in the living room, and shoved the box in my trouser pocket.

That went well.

I wasn't sure what to do after that. I briefly wondered if Fred had seen the box, but decided that even if he had, he couldn't have had time to open it. Or so I thought.

"Hey, George, what's up with the ring?" Fred's voice floated down the stairs, followed by his heavy footfall.

Damn.

"Why?" I asked casually.

"Because it's a really nice ring, and I'm wondering what on earth you're doing with something like that," he shrugged. "I'm also wondering why the bloody hell you came tearing in after it. You nearly gave me heart failure," he added.

"Are you wearing my clothes?" I asked, trying to change the subject and divert his attention. Fred looked down at himself unnecessarily; he was wearing my black skinny jeans, my white V-neck shirt, and my black vest.

"Er, yeah, sorry, I just threw them on because I had to go to Muggle London today," he said, shaking his head absently.

"No, no, it's quite alright. You look maddeningly sexy," I said honestly. Fred blushed for the first time in a long time, and tugged on the vest.

"Thanks," he said quietly. "Uh, anyway, the ring," he regained his composure. Crap.

"Merlin… Well I can't tell you anything about it right now…" I ran a hand through my hair.

"Why not?" Fred pouted adorably.

"Ugh, well… Fine. Go up to our room and I'll tell you in a minute."

"Alright," he agreed, and started up the stairs. "Where are you going?" he asked when I started up after him.

"To talk to Hermione and Ginny really quickly," I said as I rubbed my face.

I stopped at Ginny's room and Fred continued up. I knocked on her door three times before she opened up. I didn't wait for her to ask what I wanted, I just barged in.

"Yes, George, come right in," Ginny rolled her eyes. "Can I help you?"

"Fred saw the ring," I told her. Hermione gasped from Ginny's bed. "I never put it away after you looked at it."

"Oh no!" Ginny clapped her hands over her mouth. "I'm so sorry!"

"What are you going to do?" Hermione inquired.

"I'm going to propose," I said confidently, even though I felt like I was going to explode on the inside from nervousness.

"Right now?"

"Right now," I confirmed.

"Wow, George… this is getting real," Ginny said quietly.

"I know," I nodded. I sucked in my breath, and exhaled. "But I'm ready." Hermione stood up, walked over to me and patted me on the shoulder.

"Good luck," she said with a sweet smile.

"Thanks," I said, and tried to smile, but I was too nervous, and it looked more like I was sucking on a lemon.

I left Ginny's room, and started up to mine. The closer I got to the door, the more nervous I became. My stomach was tied in knots and running circles around itself. I took one last deep breath, and then entered our room. I shut the door behind me. Fred was lying on his bed staring at the ceiling. When he heard the door shut, he sat up and looked at me expectantly.

"So what's the deal with this super secret ring?" he asked playfully. He stood up and sauntered toward me.

"Er… well that's where I went off to yesterday," I started.

"To get the ring?"

"Yeah."

"Alright, so what or who is it for?" Fred asked.

"Well, er- it, uh…" I stuttered. I put my hands over my face and pushed my hair back, before promptly fixing it. I inhaled and counted five seconds before exhaling. Fred stood patiently waiting. "It's for you," I said finally.

"For me?" he instantly looked confused.

"Yeah. It was originally going to be your Christmas gift, but now that you know, I might as well give it to you now," I shrugged. I tried to look casual, but I was shaking so much it probably looked like I was having a seizure.

"What would I do with a ring like that?" he asked, amused. "I mean, it's gorgeous."

"I'll tell you…" I said quietly. But first, read something," I said. I reached in my sock drawer and pulled out a folded piece of parchment. I handed it to him, and watched him unfold it.

I had written this right before writing my letter to Hermione telling her that I knew what I wanted to get Fred. It was a list of words that only the two of us would understand. I watched as he began reading down the list, laughing.

"Bacon, grammar, secret, quills, jubilee, smelting…" he laughed at each one, remembering the meaning behind it. Many of these words came from years past. "George, this is just a list of words," he chuckled. "Granted, a list of very amusing and memorable words, but still."

"Just keep reading," I urged him.

"Draco, twincest, inhibition, tux, knighting, molecular structure, France, Will, you, marry… me…" he trailed off, and looked at me, shocked. I took that as a cue to start talking.

"Fred, I love you. I love you more than anything and anyone in the world, and if I were ever to lose you, I don't know what I would do with myself. You mean everything to me, and you're my entire world. I know I've been a complete ass all week, but that doesn't mean anything, and it doesn't reflect how I feel about you. Just know that I love you. Now, I know I'm completely mad, and we're only sixteen, and this probably isn't even legal-" I pulled the ring box out of my pocket, "-but I don't care. It's the thought that counts, right? Anyway, I don't know how else to say it, so I'll show it." I got down on one knee, and suddenly, everything slowed down. I opened the box. "Frederick Gideon Weasley, will you marry me?"

And the most beautiful, teary-eyed, breath-taking smile blessed his face. He got down on both knees so that he was level with me.

"Of course," he choked out in a whisper. :"Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes!"

I pulled out the ring, and slipped it on his left ring finger. He took a brief moment to admire it… then he kissed me. He snaked his right arm around my neck and rested the other on the side of my face. I gripped his waist, and kissed back with everything I had. I could tell he was crying; I could feel the tears streaking down his face. Merlin, he was an emotional wreck this year. His waterworks wet me off, and then we were a snogging, teary mess. I wouldn't have it any other way. Before I knew it, I was sitting against the wall with Fred straddling my lap, and kissing my neck. I had one hand up his shirt, and the other in his hair, and I couldn't stop telling him I loved him. I meant it in every way; as a friend, as a lover, as a brother, as a twin, as my fiancé. I couldn't stop saying it, and Fred just grinned, saying it back every time, somehow knowing exactly which one I meant each time.

He pulled me to my feet, and pushed me onto my bed. He let my vest fall from his shoulders and onto the floor, the shirt following soon after. Then he unbuttoned all the buttons on my flannel… with his teeth. He did the same with my zipper, and then we were down to our underwear on my bed. Soon after, we were wearing nothing at all. I was on top of him just looking down at him. My fiancé…

**O*O*O*O*O*O**

He was the first person I saw when I woke up in the morning. He had his head rested on his bent arm, and he was breathing steadily. I noticed for the first time just how long his eyelashes were. I wondered if mine were that long.

He took the ring off before we went down for breakfast, upon my request. He didn't want to, but I didn't want to risk Mum and Dad questioning where he got it. He put it back on as soon as we got back to our room.

"Right, so since I got my Christmas gift early-" he waggled the fingers of his left hand, "-It's only fair that you get yours as well. And don't say I don't have to, because I want to," he added when I looked ready to speak. He dropped to his knees and reached under his bed. He pulled out what looked to be a huge silver bowl full of water. He stood up and walked to place it on the desk. He wasn't careful about it at all, but not a drop was spilt. Then he went back and dragged out a Muggle CD player with headphones and a CD case, then a glass flask full of some silvery liquid.

Is that a pensive?" I asked, pointing in the general direction of the object.

"No, Georgie, that's a _desk_," he patted the desk. "This, however, is a pensive."

"Oh, ha bloody ha," I rolled my eyes.

"Here, take this," he handed me the CD player. "Put on the headphones," he instructed. I did as I was told. Fred looked at the CD cover, which had a bunch of writing on it. Then he stared pushing a button on the CD player. After a final push, he grabbed the flask off the desk. I couldn't help but notice the ring glinting on his finger every time it caught the light. He poured the silvery liquid into the pensive; memories.

"Ok, come here," he motioned me over. I walked and stood next to him. "Right, so, I'm going to push play, then you just go straight in, ok?" The way his eyes glowed with excitement made it impossible for me to refuse, even if I wanted to. "Ok… go!" he pushed play on the CD player, and I leaned into the pensive.

The CD player and headphones had disappeared, but I could still hear the music.

_**Fred and I were standing in the Great Hall, arms linked, waiting to be sorted our first year.**_

"_**Weasley, Fred!" Fred unlinked and walked up to be sorted. The hat said Gryffindor the moment it touched his head.**_

"_**Weasley, George!" I could almost feel the fear that I had felt in that moment as an eleven-year-old, praying that I wouldn't be separated from my twin.**_

"_**Gryffindor!"**_

The scene blew away, and rematerialized. We looked to be about in our third year.

_**Look at the stars, look how they shine for you…**_

_**Fred and I were laying in the grass in a meadow not too far from the Burrow. It must have been a holiday. It was late at night, and we were side by side, pointing up at the sky.**_

…_**And everything you do. Yeah, they were all yellow.**_

"_**Look! I can see the little dipper!" Fred pointed to the night sky. "Right there!"**_

"_**Yeah, well I can see the **_**big**_** dipper!" I shot back, pointing to a different spot, and smirking triumphantly.**_

_**I came along, I wrote a song for you, and all the things you do. It was called Yellow.**_

"_**Who cares? The little dipper is harder to see, 'cause it's **_**little**_**," Fred elbowed me.**_

"_**Oh, so you're trying to one-up me then?" I asked playfully, looking over at him.**_

"_**So what if I am," he challenged cheekily. I shoved him away and laughed. Fred grinned.**_

The scene morphed into the quidditch pitch during a game.

_**So then I took my turn, oh what a thing to've done. And it was all yellow.**_

_**Young Harry zoomed past us in search of the snitch, Malfoy hot on his tail. The two bludgers came soaring toward us, and we shared a look. With an almighty swing, we sent the two bludgers soaring at Malfoy. We cheered, and high-fived.**_

The scene suddenly changed to me, the summer after fourth year.

_**You're skin, oh yeah you're skin and bones. Turn them in to something beautiful.**_

_**I stood in front of the mirror in the bathroom, staring at myself. Fred stood in the doorway, watching me. I could count my ribs through my skin. I was right in the middle of my eating disorder. Fred walked up behind me, and I saw his reflection behind me in the mirror.**_

_**You know, you know I love you so…**_

"_**George…"**_

_**You know I love you so.**_

Then the scene became me and Fred kissing for the first time.

_**I pulled away violently and stared at him. Fred was smiling that same old mischievous smile of his. He leaned in and kissed me again. I pulled away for the second time, all the emotions and thoughts jumbled in my head. I stared at him, looking completely shocked. Then my expression softened, and I leaned in quickly and kissed him myself, and that time, we didn't stop. **_

Then we were in the backyard, this past summer.

_**I swam across, I jumped across for you.**_

_**We were running around fully clothed shooting **_**Aguamenti**_** at each other.**_

_**Oh, what a thing to do.**_

_**He slung an arm around my shoulders.**_

'_**Cause you were all yellow. I drew a line, I drew a line for you.**_

_**It was all of the moments during our two weeks of fighting when Fred and I brushed past each other coldly, and wordlessly, one after the other.**_

_**Oh what a thing to do. And it was all yellow.**_

_**I was shoving past Fred in the common room after my fight with Jilani. I made brief eye contact before pushing past and leaving, and I saw the hurt look on Fred's face that I never saw the first time.**_

_**Just skin, oh yeah you're skin and bones.**_

_**I was walking into our room after a shower, wearing only a towel. Fred was looking me up and down.**_

_**Turn 'em into something beautiful.**_

_**I was dressed up in my new clothes for the first time, complete with perfectly styled haircut, and the look on Fred's face was pure lust.**_

_**You know, for you I'd bleed myself dry…**_

"_**You look really good…" he said.**_

"_**Thanks…"**_

_**For you I'd bleed myself dry.**_

_**We were fully clothed in the shower after Fred had gotten beaten up; blood was running down the drain and he was sobbing into my shoulder.**_

_**Fred walking in on me and Jilani.**_

_**Me and Fred sending tickling charms at each other in Charms class the day we made up.**_

_**Fred going down on me in the dorms the same day.**_

_**The first time we had sex.**_

_**Fred seeing me walk into the hospital wing after his heroin overdose, and the grin on his face.**_

_**Me having to explain to Hermione that Fred was not taken, but that he was "bacon".**_

_**Fred sitting next to me telling me everything would be ok after I broke my arm when we were eight.**_

_**The first time we went flying together.**_

_**It's true, look how they shine for you. Look how they shine for you. Look how they shine for you. Look how they shine for…**_

_**The two of us trying out for Quidditch our second year.**_

_**Fred and I cracking up in our room after Fred turned Ron's hair green.**_

_**Us finding the Marauder's Map in Filches office first year.**_

_**Us grabbing Harry after we saw him trying to sneak off to Hogsmede so that we could give him the map.**_

_**Look how they shine for you. Look how they shine for you.**_

_**The two of us trying to barricade Ron in a tomb in Egypt.**_

_**Look how they shine.**_

_**Fred and I standing side-by-side just staring at each other.**_

_**Look at the stars, look how they shine for you, and all the things that you… do…**_

Then it went back to the memory of us laying side-by-side in the grass, pointing at the sky.

"_**Oh, so you're trying to one-up me then?"**_

"_**So what if I am?"**_

_**I shoved him away and laughed. Fred grinned. **_

"_**I dunno," I replied, chuckling.**_

_**Fred giggled, rolled back over to me, and rested his head on my shoulder.**_

I felt a weird pulling, and suddenly, I was standing back on our bedroom floor. I stood still a moment before taking off the headphones and placing the CD player on the desk. I didn't know what to say. So I kissed him. I placed my hands on either side of his face and pulled him in. Everything I couldn't say verbally, I put into that kiss.

"You know what they say," he said breathlessly after we broke apart, "The best gifts come from the heart… or the mind in this case…"

"Fred, I don't know what to say," I mumbled against his lips. "That was the sweetest thing anyone has ever given me."

"Doesn't beat yours though…" He held up his left hand. "Anyway, I thought that this would be really good. At first I didn't know what to get you or what to do, but when we got here for Holidays, it seemed like we were drifting apart. You were all mad at first, but then you pretended nothing was wrong, but I could tell something was up… So I hoped this would fix everything."

"I bet this was a pain to put together," I sighed.

"Only the CD," he shrugged. "I'm pretty sure I'm never allowed back in that music store in Muggle London," he laughed. "It was worth it for you though."

"Merlin, Fred, I owe you an explanation for my behavior this past week-and-a-half…" I rubbed my temples. "I thought you broke up with me," I told him.

"Where on earth did you get that idea?" Fred asked, looking completely puzzled.

"The night of the Masquerade… well you did break up with me."

"What?" Fred looked alarmed. "I don't remember that! I don't remember anything that happened that night! I was high that night," he admitted what I already knew. "Everything past me dressing myself is a complete blank!"

"I know, relax," I put my hands on his shoulders. "I didn't remember that you were high until Hermione reminded me yesterday, which brought me to thinking that you probably didn't mean it." Fred looked revived. "But I thought we were broken up until yesterday, and Hermione told me I should chat up girls just to mess with your head and-"

"No need to go into all that," Fred cut me off. "But that explains a lot. I'm sorry…"

"Fred, you need to get this bloody heroine thing under control; it's not getting you anywhere."

"I know, I know."

"Then why don't you just stop?"

"It's not that easy. It's an _addiction_. I can't just _stop_." He sounded irritated.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I know," I said quickly, not wanting to spark a fight. Fred sat down on his bed, and I sat next to him. We were silent for a few awkward minute.

"So you like it then? The gift, I mean?" he asked, breaking the silence. I looked up at him, and grinned before kissing him softly on the lips.

"Of course! I can't even properly explain how much I love it."

"Good," he smiled.

"How did you get all those memories together and arrange them like that if we've only been here this long?" I inquired curiously.

"I pulled them all the times you were gone. You were gone so long on those days that I had enough time."

And for some reason, that sentence made me want to cry.

**- oOo -**

**A/N- Well, there it is. :D This is the last time I'll be updating until I get back from Maryland.**

**Massive thank you to Cause4Rebellion for the parchment full of random words that only Fred and George understand. It was the perfect way to introduce the proposal X)**

**Quickly, I made a video for you guys and put it on youtube. The link to my youtube channel is on my profile. :D It's basically just me thanking you, and me progressing through typing the chapter. XD You should go look, so I don't look stupid XP**

**Here's the list of all the songs that Fred put on that mix CD:**

**I Want You by Savage Garden**

**Bittersweet Symphony by The Verve**

**You and Me by Lifehouse**

**All You Need Is Love by The Beatles**

**Sex and Candy by Marcy Playground**

**Love IS A Battlefield by Pat Benetar**

**Praise You by Fatboy Slim**

**You're Not Alone by Saosin**

**Burnin' For You by The Blue Oyster Cult**

**Lightning Crashes by Live**

**Black Balloon by The Goo Goo Dolls**

**Fallen by Sarah McLachlen**

**Yellow by Coldplay**


	42. The SideEffects of Engagement

**A/N- Well, I'm back from Maryland, obviously. Sorry this chapter took so long, I meant to have it out a while ago, but life happened, because it loves screwing me over… T_T And fair warning to you all, this ended up being an obscene amount of dialogue. It just kinda happened that way. Anyway, it's not much, but it's something! Enjoy!**

**- oOo -**

Chapter 42: The Side-Effects of Engagement

Someone rapped on our bedroom door, and I stood up from the bed where Fred and I were sitting and went to open it.

"Hey, Hermione," I smiled.

"Hi, um, your mum wanted to know what you want for lunch, because she's going to start cooking in about an hour and a half, and so, she just wanted to know," Hermione said, and smiled. Her smile looked more like a lemon pucker, and she was rocking back and forth on her heels with her hands behind her back.

"She's ahead of the game, isn't she?" Fred snickered.

"Anything, I guess," we said together, shrugging.

"Oh, alright, well I'll just… tell her, then," the brown-eyed girl said, and tried to peek around me at Fred. I blocked her view, just to be obnoxious, and she looked up at me sheepishly.

"You're a bad liar, Granger," I smirked.

"I uh, I don't know what you're… oh, alright! Hermione cracked. "I just wanted to see if-"

"I was wearing the ring? To confirm if I accepted?" Fred said from behind me. He had gotten up off the best, and was now standing so close behind me, I could feel his body heat. I forced myself not to instinctively lean in to him.

"Yeah," Hermione looked up at me, embarrassed.

"Why not just ask?"

"I thought it would be weird!" She fiddled with a strand of her brown hair.

"Weirder things have escaped that mouth of yours, believe me," I chuckled. "Besides, that wouldn't be weird at all. You girls are strange, thinking all the most normal things are too weird to say out loud."

"I could say the same of you," she retorted cockily.

"Yes, you could, and it would be completely accurate." I smiled an annoyingly innocent-looking smile.

Hermione just looked at me. She didn't say anything aloud, but her eyes said, _George Weasley, what am I going to do with you?"_

Mine responded with, _"Nothing permanent."_

"Not talking bad about me, are you?" Fred asked in a mock pout, noticing the exchange.

"Not bad; terrible," I joked, saying the word 'terrible' dramatically.

"Oh yeah? Well Harry and I are having a telepathic conversation, and I'm spreading _nasty_ rumors about you," he smirked.

"While you're at it, why don't you tell him about how you didn't stop wetting the bed until you were ten?" I flung this lie at him, hoping it would throw him off since Hermione was in the room, but somehow knowing it wouldn't.

"I'll have you know, I stopped at _nine-and-a-half_," Fred boasted, letting a look of childish pride come over his face. I couldn't help laughing at that, and I had to give him kudos for not letting it make him uncomfortable.

"Really?" Hermione giggled.

"Wouldn't you like to know," Fred chuckled, glancing at her. Hermione didn't really know what to say to that, so she congratulated us on the engagement.

"Thanks," I said happily. "Although I'm not sure it'll change anything seeing as there's no way this sort of marriage is legal," I huffed.

"Well, that may be true, but you can have something similar. It's not so much a marriage, as it is a… bonding," Hermione offered. "It's the magical version of a domestic partnership," she added.

I side-glanced at Fred, who looked rather pleased at the news. "I like the sound of that," I said.

"As do I," Fred grinned. "Guess we have plans for after next year."

"Assuming that you actually graduate," Hermione chimed in.

"Thanks for the loads of faith you have in us," I rolled my eyes.

"Sorry, I'm just thinking realistically," she shrugged, as if her statement was no big deal.

"We're not _stupid_, Granger," Fred snorted. "We'll get by," he said.

"You should want to do more than just 'get by'," Hermione stated, sounding quite a bit like Mum. I'm sure that if we were to lock them in a room together, they would get up to some seriously academic-related conversations about us. When one isn't hounding us about our grades, the other is.

"We're not all like you, Hermione," I chuckled.

"Obviously…"

"Personally, I always thought our futures lay outside the world of academic achievement," Fred said.

"My thoughts exactly," I agreed, nodding.

"Anyway, back on topic, D'you know someone who could do that for us?" Fred asked Hermione.

"Well, no, not personally. If you can't find a person yourselves, you'll have to go to the Ministry," she replied quietly, sounding almost nervous.

"The Ministry?" I knit my eyebrows. "Why would we need to go to the Ministry?" I asked.

"If you don't find a person or an independently operated place, then the Ministry is the only available option," Hermione explained. "It's like when Muggles get married in City Hall. There wouldn't be any fancy set-up, or a party; it would just be a private, legal bonding. You would say your vows, exchange rings, then sign the papers."

"That actually sounds rather good," I admitted. "we wouldn't really be able to have a big wedding party anyway, so that's the perfect way to have it done in private, and no one we haven't told needs to know."

"You're allowed to have people in to watch, as well," Hermione added.

"I guess that means you'll want to be there then?" Fred grinned, and stuck his tongue out at her, teasingly.

"Of course!" Hermione said, in a way that suggested that it should have been quite obvious, which it was. "Ginny as well. She's really excited for you."

"Great, and afterwards, we can celebrate ourselves, plus a few people," Fred said, and mimed the act of dancing, and drinking from a bottle. I snorted.

"You're not going to want to have that night to yourselves?" Hermione inquired, ignoring Fred's gestures.

"Nah, we'll have plenty of time for that," I winked. Hermione turned red, and cleared her throat, nodding to no one in particular. She looked like she was trying to fight off unwanted mental images, which only make me smirk and chuckle.

While Fred laughed at Hermione's blushing, it dawned on me exactly what we were talking about. We were discussing marriage plans. Wedding details. We were sixteen, talking about when and where to get bonded. I thought I was overwhelmed before? That was nothing compared to that very moment, when the reality of the situation hit me like a ton of bricks. And it was amazing. I felt so good, so mature, and so in love. We were going to be bonded, legally bonded. Of course it would just be rings and a piece of paper with our names on it, but still; knowing that we would legally and officially be together for the rest of our lives. It was a defining moment. I knew it was a while away, but I was excited as if it were only days away. Cliché as it may sound, I was in love with Fred, and I wanted to spend the rest of my life with him. Yeah, we probably would anyway, since we were twins, and had no long or short term plan to leave each other, but this was on a different end of the spectrum. Marriage.

"George? George!"

"What?" I snapped out of my thoughts.

"You're just standing there grinning at the dresser, and it's getting a bit creepy," Fred informed me, and clapped me on the shoulder.

"Oh, sorry," I shook my head. "I was just thinking."

"Looked more like you were fantasizing," Hermione smirked playfully.

"Planning is more like it," I laughed.

"You're definitely the girl, then," Fred snorted.

"Excuse me?" I scoffed. "Just because I'm planning for something that is actually going to happen?" I crossed my arms.

"No, because you're planning in _general,_" he snickered. I rolled my eyes.

"Yeah, alright, whatever you say," I shook my head.

Fred smiled, and threw an arm around me. "You know I'm just yanking your wand," he stuck his tongue out at me.

"Not with 'Mione in the room! Unless you're an exhibitionist…" I trailed off mischievously.

"George! I'm right here!" Hermione scolded, blushing bright red. She looked so uncomfortable, and it was so amusing.

"How do you know I'm not?" Fred asked seductively, leaning his face close to mine.

"I guess that means there's a lot I don't know about you, huh," I asked in a husky voice. Hermione cleared her throat, but we paid no mind.

"Maybe…" he trailed off, and pressed his lips to mine, kissing me softly.

"Alright, I'm leaving," Hermione said in a clearly embarrassed voice. "I'll see you two later."

I laughed against Fred's lips, and I thought he would pull away, since it seemed he was just trying to mess with Hermione, but he didn't. He raised a hand to my hair, and kissed me harder. I followed along, and placed my hands on his hips, pulling him close to me, and then wrapped my arms around his waist. His lips moved against mine rhythmically, like it was meant to be that way, and I really think it stayed like that for a little while, just kissing, before Fred pulled away.

"So, you're excited then?" Fred asked childishly.

"No, Fred. I'm absolutely dreading it. It's at the absolute bottom of my 'things I want to do' list. I literally, want nothing to do with it," I deadpanned. "Of course I'm excited, don't be thick!" I laughed, after reading the confused look on his face.

"Good, because I am too," Fred grinned, kissing my lips again. My heart jumped, and I felt a bit like a love-sick school-girl.

"Way to point out the obvious, I never would have guessed," I teased, and retaliated by sliding my hand under his shirt, coming to rest on his abdomen.

"I know, that's why I said it," Fred teased. "What would you do without me?"

"I'd be pretty damn lonely, I'll tell you that," I chuckled, holding him tighter. I rested my head against his, and just breathed him in. He smelled so damn good.

"Good thing I'm here then, eh?" He punctuated his sentence with another kiss, and I didn't let him go.

**O*O*O*O*O*O*O*O**

The next day was Christmas Eve. Ginny was all kinds of excited for Christmas, as well as Ron, who mostly just looks forward to the food. Mum had us bustling about cleaning the whole house in preparation for tomorrow's get-together, which would consist of just about everyone in the Order. After cleaning our room for the third time (because it wasn't up to Mum's standards the first two times), we were set to the living room. There was a rather nasty family of Doxies living in the curtains, and it was no picnic evicting them. They were flying right at us, trying to bite is and swiped at us with they're freakishly sharp fingernails. One of them almost got me, but I dodged it. We were running low on the antidote to Doxy venom, so I was trying to be extra careful, because I didn't want to waste it because of being careless, when at some point, someone might need it. Wow… how deep and caring of me. We did manage to get some of the venom for experimentation though. Although, Mum nearly caught us, and things would have ended disastrously if she caught us smuggling the Doxy venom into our room. I didn't want to imagine the lecture she's give us.

Harry and Hermione had jobs to do too, which I have never understood. They were our guests, they shouldn't have been cleaning. Harry says it's only fair though, since Mum lets him practically live here. Hermione agreed, and was more than happy to contribute to the house work. I think the only reason it didn't bother them was because it wasn't their house they were cleaning. I can't say much about Hermione since she's a bit of a nut, but I'd bet a thousand galleons that he hates cleaning for those stupid Muggle relatives he lives with.

Ron had been working on his room for what was now going on four hours. What a lazy-ass. Bit selfish if you ask me; Harry and Hermione, his two best friends, are all over the house working hard, and Ron's trying to get out of as much work as he can. It was to be expected though. I mean, he's RON.

Mum didn't let us off until it was nearly dark. Once we were all fed and relaxed, we unanimously decided that a friendly game of Quidditch was in order. It wasn't as fun as it could have been, since Bill and Charlie weren't there; they wouldn't be arriving until the next day. So the way it ended up was: Me, Harry, and Ginny were on one team; Fred, Ron, and Hermione were on the other. Hermione was all kinds of reluctant to play, since she's terrified of flying, but Ron and Ginny coaxed her in to it. She's not a great flyer, but she's better than she gives herself credit for.

"What's the score?" I asked, half an hour into the game.

"Er… I haven't been keeping score."

"Nor have I."

"Me either."

I stared blankly at everyone.

"No one has been keeping score? No one?" I asked incredulously. The general response to my question was that everyone thought everyone else was keeping score. Huh.

"Well, that takes all the competition out of it," I whined.

"Relax, George, it's only a game," Hermione said tensely (as she was trying to keep her balance), but managed to throw an eye-roll my way anyway. 'It's only a game', is probably the number one thing that a Quidditch fan does not want to hear. I could have gone on a whole rant about how Quidditch was more than a game, but Ginny quickly intervened.

"Let's just play with no score for now and have a rematch before we go back to school," she compromised quickly. Everyone mumbled their reluctant approval, and the game continued.

We figured it was time to stop when it was so dark that Hermione was being repeatedly hit in the face with the quaffle whenever it was passed to her. Honestly, I would have enjoyed continuing watching that, but Hermione was getting frustrated, and it didn't look like she would be able to complain and stay on the broom at the same time, so we decided to call it quits.

As everyone was filing in to the house, Fred and I were behind everyone, so before we got close to the door, Fred laced our hands together, and pulled me in for a fast kiss. He pressed his lips softly against mine, and squeezed my hand. I made some odd noise that was somewhere between a laugh, and a sigh. I can't be sure what it was… I was just caught off guard. He grinned at me, amused, then let go of my hand as he entered the house. I stumbled a bit as I walked in, my mind fuzzy. Funny how a little gesture like that was suddenly such a big deal. I guess it must've been a side-effect of the excitement of the engagement. I shook my head, as if the blur was something tangible that could be physically shaken away, and grinned back as I stepped into the warmth of the Burrow.

- oOo -

**Welp, there we go. Chapter 48. I just realized that this puts me at over 100,000 words…. I FEEL ACCOMPLISHED. **

**Sorry this was so uneventful! The next chapter will be a million times better… This one was sort of just filler. **

**And answering the question that you might be thinking, but not asking, YES, because there are now vague plans for the marriage/bonding, there WILL be a sequel. :D Yay! **


	43. Christmas Day

**A/N-Oh god, It has been over a month, and I am a horrible person. I am so sorry that this took so long, I just got so busy since school started, because I have school work, and I writing for the newspaper, and I was in the play, and I'm doing nanowrimo. But no more excuses, here it is!**

**- oOo -**

Chapter 43: Christmas Day

When I woke up in the morning, it took me a minute to remember that I had fallen asleep listening to the CD Fred gave me. That would explain my weird dreams and why Saosin was screaming in my ears.

I sat up and turned the CD player off before rubbing my eyes sleepily. I checked my watch, which read eight thirty-two. Despite the fact that it was Christmas day, I wanted to go back to sleep. The only people in our family who deliberately get up early on Christmas are Mum because she cooks a huge breakfast, and Dad because Mum is up. The rest of us value sleep too much.

A quick glance across the room told me that Fred was still asleep. I threw the covers off and shuffled to Fred's bed.

"Fred!" I said his name and kicked his bed. He didn't wake up. I pulled his pillow out from under his head and tossed it across the room, but he still didn't wake. I squinted and pursed my lips, contemplating my next move. Finally, I smiled to myself and sat right on top of like, so I was straddling him. Then I grabbed his shoulders and shook him. His eyes flew open, and she shot up into the sitting position so that we were nose-to-nose. I raised an eyebrow.

"morning," I said, stretching the word for about seven O's.

"Good morning," Fred chuckled, and slid his arms around my waist. He pulled me closer, and kissed me softly on the lips.

"Happy Christmas," I said after he broke away.

"Oh, yeah, I forgot," he shook his head. "Happy Christmas to you too," he smiled, then layed back down, fake snoring.

"Oh, c'mon! Get up!" I smacked his chest.

"But I want to sleep!" he whined, and I rolled my eyes.

"It's after 8:30, Mum is up by now," I said, nudging him.

"So?" He threw an arm over his face.

"So, she's probably cooking breakfast," I drummed on his chest. He bolted up.

"Food, you say?" he inquired. I nodded. With that, Fred shoved me right off him, leaving me to fall to the wood floor with a thud. By the time I sat up, Fred was already half way down the stairs yelling, "Why are you still there? Come _on_!" I rolled my eyes again, got up, and followed him down to the kitchen.

As I predicted, Mum was cooking. Actually, she was almost done. The table was full of just about every breakfast food one could imagine, and then some. It was actually quite a bit like the Christmas feast at Hogwarts, but nothing beats a home-cooked meal, really. Fred was leaning against his chair waiting for me, and Harry, Hermione, Ginny, and Dad were already seated. Ron was the only one missing, but I wasn't surprised.

"Ron's still sleeping, eh?" I leaned against the back of my chair, copying Fred.

"Yeah, but not for long, I'll bet," Harry chuckled.

"What makes you say that?" I asked, amused. Harry raised his eyebrows, and nodded toward Ginny, who promptly began yelling for Ron.

"RON! BREAKFAST IS READY!" she shouted so loud that everyone had to cover their ears.

"Food?" came Ron's raised voice from upstairs, followed by the clamor of feet on the floor.

"Well, that answers that question," Fred spoke up, laughing a little.

"Alright, alright, everyone sit down," Mum came into the dining room waving at us to sit. "Bill, Charlie, and Percy will be here tonight for dinner," she said, and sat down next to Dad.

"What makes you think Percy'll actually show up?" Ron asked bitterly. "He's been too busy with his new job."

"Be nice, Ron, you should be happy for him!" Mum scolded. "Junior assistant to the Minister himself! I'm so proud…"

"Yeah, because licking the Minister's shoes is such a high-ranking position," Fred scoffed. Mum sighed wearily, shaking her head.

"Come on now, let's eat," she said. We didn't need to be told twice. Ron just about took a bite out of the table as he grabbed at anything he could reach. Harry scooted away, the carefully selected his food of choice.

"So, what's everyone got planned for today?" Dad asked, sipping his orange juice. Ron shrugged, unable to speak since his mouth was full to bursting.

"Nothing really," Ginny said. "Hermione and I were just going to stay here."

"You sure?" Dad knit his eyebrows. "It's going to be awfully uneventful. I know! Why don't we take a trip down to Hogsmede for some drinks?" he suggested excitedly. Hermione and Ginny smiled enthusiastically, and nodded.

"Sounds good," Ginny said, and continued her breakfast.

""Boys?"

"Yeah," came the general response.

"Wonderful!" Dad clapped his hands together and grinned.

Once everyone was done eating (or in Ron's case, inhaling) and the table was cleared, everyone scattered to get dressed.

"Here, wear some of my stuff," I said when Fred and I got back up to our room. I opened my wardrobe and pulled out my white jeans and the green and white flannel, then handed him the clothes.

"Thanks, Fred smiled, and kissed me quickly on the lips before talking off his pajama pants. He'd been extra affectionate lately… and I was not about to complain.

Once he was dressed, he grabbed his black shoes, and charmed them to green, to go with the shirt. I put on my black jeans and my red and black flannel with my red high-tops.

When we were both dressed, I looked down at myself, then at Fred, and grinned brightly.

"I think this is our best outfit combination yet," I said, amused. We looked quite festive. This was unanimously agreed upon by everyone in the house when we went downstairs.

"Glad to see you getting n to the spirit, boys!" Dad said jovially.

"When have we ever not been in the spirit?" Fred questioned, but Dad ignored him.

"Everyone into the living room," Dad clapped, and we crowded in, shuffling around the fireplace. "Harry, Ron, you first," he said. Harry did as he was told, and stepped up first. He took a fistful of floo powder, stepped into the fireplace, and threw it down yelling 'The Three Broomsticks'. He disappeared in a rush of emerald flames. Ron stepped up next, followed by Ginny, Hermione, Fred, me, Mum, and Dad. I'll venture to guess that it looked pretty funny to see us pouring in like that. We do love to make an entrance.

The place was not overly crowded, because people don't normally go flooding in until Christmas night, but there was still a fair amount of people. The Three Broomsticks was one of the few places that stayed open all Christmas day.

Madame Rosemerta pointed us toward the back, where there was a large, unoccupied table. When we were al seated, Dad gave Rosemerta an order of eight butterbeers.

"I'll be right back with that," the barmaid smiled, and walked off toward the bar.

"Is anyone going anywhere today, or is it an inside day?" Dad asked, looking around the table.

"Oh, Arthur," Mum smacked his arm. "Let them stay in if they want to!"

"Actually," I spoke up, "Fred and I planned to go around today," I said.

"Around where?" Mum asked.

"Just around St. Ottery Catchpole," I shrugged. Fred nodded in agreement even though he didn't know what I was talking about.

"Oh, boys, I don't want you running around down there bothering those poor Muggles," Mum said wearily.

"We won't be bothering anyone, it's not like we'll be knocking door-to-door selling real estate," Fred rolled his eyes, and Mum tried to hold back an exasperated laugh.

"Well… Alright… Just don't go getting in to trouble," she said. "I don't want ministry officials knocking on the door telling me you've been arrested for one thing or another."

"Trouble?" I looked shocked.

"Us?" Fred pointed to himself like he had no idea what she was saying.

"Never!" we said together. This did not reassure mum, and she looked ready to change her mind, but luckily Rosemerta came back with our drinks.

**O*O*O*O*O*O*O*O*O*O**

When we got home, everyone else went off to do their own thing, and Fred and I walked out the front door to start walking to the Muggle village.

"So why exactly are we going to St. Ottery Catchpole?" Fred asked as we walked through the tall grass.

"I dunno," I shrugged. "To kill time, I guess."

"Until when?"

"Until Bill, Charlie, and Percy get home I suppose. And I don't really fancy sitting around and doing nothing."

"Alright then," Fred shrugged, and held my hand. I smiled to myself. "Any particular place you plan on visiting while we're there?" he asked.

"Well I want to go see Kate, since I never called her back that one day," I scratched the back of my neck.

"Really?" Fred asked.

"Yeah, I meant to call her back, but I ended up-"

"No, no, I mean you're really going to take me to see her?" he looked reluctant and hurt. Then I remembered the connection, and felt awful.

"Oh Merlin, I'm sorry, Fred, no." I stopped walking, forcing him to stop as well. "We don't have to, I completely forgot, I'm so sorry," I apologized desperately.

"It's fine, George, we can go," he said and squeezed my hand.

"No," I shook my head. "I don't know what I was thinking, that was incredibly stupid of me." My brain was running on auto-pilot and apologies flowed from me like water.

"Seriously, I don't mind, let's just go," he tried to tell me.

"We'll go somewhere else, I cont believe I even-"

I was cut off when Fred dropped my hand, took my head in his hands, and kissed me. He trailed his right hand down my cheek, down my neck, and pulled me closer by the front of my shirt. I wrapped one hand around his waist and planted the other at the base of his neck. We stood there for what seemed like forever, until Fred pulled away.

"Let's go see Kate," he said breathlessly.

"Alright," I replied stupidly, forgetting my argument.

Fred held my hand again, and we arrived in the village about five minutes later, and I led him in the direction of the Muggle magic shop.

"Huh…" I stopped walking as I came to a realization. "It's Christmas… What if she's not working today?"

"Guess we'll just have to go and see," Fred shrugged. I nodded and continued walking. As we approached the door, I saw and 'open' sign hanging up. I felt bad that Kate had to work on a big holiday like this. I pushed the door open, and the jingle of the bell alerted Kate of my presence. She looked up from the book she was reading.

"Fred!" she exclaimed. "I mean, George! And… Fred… Also…" she had to think for a moment to get it straight in her head.

"Why'd she know my name?" Fred whispered to me.

"Not important," I waved the thought away, and walked to the counter. "Hi, Kate," I smiled.

"You never called me back!" Her expression was disappointed, but her voice was comically over exaggerated. "You are George, or, er… Fred? No, George, right?"

"Yeah, I'm George," I confirmed.

Kate sighed. "Sorry, it's just a bit confusing now," she apologized.

"Don't worry," I told her, smiling. "It's alright."

"So, that's your brother then?" Kate asked, pointing at Fred.

"Yep, I'm Fred," Fred spoke up, and walked forward with his arm extended for a handshake. She shook, grinning up at him.

"Nice to meet you for real this time," she chuckled.

"What?" Fred knit his eyebrows.

"It's a long story," I interjected quickly, before Kate could speak.

"Hey…" Kate squinted her eyes, and looked down at Fred's pants. I followed her gaze, and my heart stopped.

Fred's want was protruding from his pocket. His shirt wasn't covering it like mine was. _Oh Merlin, Oh God, Oh Zeus… _

"What is that?" she asked, pointing right at it?" A part of me died inside.

"This?" Fred pulled it right out of his pocket. I wanted to grab him and shake him and throw him back to the Burrow. "It's my wand," he shrugged. I wanted to just die right there. Was this some sort of revenge? Was this to pay me back for getting with Kate? I was silently freaking out.

"Your wand?" Kate raised an eyebrow. "Like a magic wand?" she asked. _No, no not like that at all._

"Yeah," Fred said. _Kill me, please._

"It doesn't look like and magic wand I've ever seen," Kate said skeptically. _That's because it's not. Oh Merlin…_

"That's because it was custom made, just for me," Fred told her. "Georgie here has one as well." With that, he lifted my shirt away from my pants, and grabbed my wand. _Oh God no, no, no, he did not just do that. _Oh, but he did. I was dying more and more with each painful breath.

"That's weird," Kate said slowly. "What, d'you believe in magic or something?" she asked. "I mean, I know George said he believed a little, but I didn't know he believed enough to have a weird magic wand made." She was talking about me like I wasn't even in the room. I was glad she wasn't paying any attention to me, because if I looked anything like how I felt, I wasn't exactly looking my best.

"Of course we believe," Fred said innocently. "Don't you?"

"Not really, no," Kate said, and moved her black hair out of her green eyes. "What do you do with these?" she asked.

"We like to pretend," Fred smirked.

"You're weird," she laughed. Fred laughed lightly with her, and held my wand out to me. I couldn't move myself to take it, so Fred put it in my pocket for me, and then put away his own.

"You alright there, Georgie?" Fred clapped me on the back.

"Absolutely wonderful, Fred," I said through gritted teeth. "So, er, why are you working today, Kate?" I asked, wanting to change the subject to something as far as possible from magic.

"Yeah, it's Christmas!" Fred added.

"Oh, I don't get time off on holidays," Kate informed us. "Although, I don't understand why; we haven't had any customers yet, and I doubt we'll have any at all," she rolled her eyes.

"Wow, that's rotten," Fred said sympathetically.

"Yeah, you should come around with us," I offered.

"Thanks… I really want to, but if my dad comes down here and I'm gone, he'll beat me within an inch of my life," she sighed. I had the eerie feeling that she was very serious.

"I'm sorry, Kate," I exhaled slowly.

"It's alright, there's nothing to do about it," she shrugged.

"Well, we've got to go, but I'll try to call you again before we go back to school," I said.

"Alright," Kate smiled. "Thanks for coming by, Happy Christmas!"

"Happy Christmas," Fred and I said together, and left.

I waited until we were a safe distance away from the shop before punching Fred in the shoulder as hard as I could. Being the beaters for the house quidditch team had given us some arm strength, so I did a decent number on him.

"Ow!" he yelped, and caressed the injured shoulder. "That hurt!"

"I know," I growled. "That's what you get for scaring me shitless," I said, glaring at him.

"I was just having a bit of fun!" he tried to reason, but I would have none of it.

"You showed her our bloody wands! Oh, get your head out of the gutter," I added when he started giggling.

"Sorry, sorry," he chortled.

"Honestly, I thought we were done for when she saw your wand," I said.

"Yeah, well, lucky I was able to think so quick on my feet," Fred shrugged, smirking self-righteously. "You couldn't even move," he teased.

"For future reference, let's never bring our wands here again," I said, and decided to ignore his instigation.

"Mum would flip," Fred pointed out.

"Well she doesn't have to know," I shrugged.

"Ooh, breaking the rules! Familiar territory, no?" he waggled his eyebrows and stuck his tongue out at me.

"Right," I laughed. "But really, if you ever do that again, I'll kill you," I said seriously.

"You can't kill me, you love me too much!" he laughed.

"Whatever," I giggled, and shoved him. He just laughed some more, and threw an arm around my shoulder, and I did the same.

"What are we even doing?" Fred shook his head, amused. "It's Christmas day, nowhere is going to be open," he said.

"I know, but I just wanted to get out of the house," I groaned. "We could go into Muggle London," I suggested.

"I doubt anything will be open there, either," Fred pursed his lips.

"Well then," I bit my lip.

"Why don't we just go home?" Fred laughed. "There's nothing to do either way, so we might as well do nothing in the warmth of the Burrow."

"Yeah, I suppose," I sighed. We turned back in the direction of home, and began walking.

**O*O*O*O*O*O*O*O*O**

Home was just as boring as Fred predicted it to be, but at least we were warm. The rest of the daylight hours consisted of a lot of sitting around, pestering Mum, and snogging up in our room. Around six o'clock, Bill arrived, followed by Charlie, but Percy had yet to show. I didn't expect him to come; he loved his job more than his own family. Mum was positive that he would come though, and all of us knew there would be no breaking her out of her hope-fueled daze.

Dinner was almost ready, and Mum said that we would open presents right before desert, which was fine by all of us. It was at that announcement though, that Fred and I realized that we hadn't gotten anything for Bill or Charlie, and we felt rather guilty. In our defense, though, we hadn't known they would be coming until today. We could have given them some spell-check quills, but there were two flaws in that plan; neither of them needed them, and Mum wouldn't be too happy to see how we've been spending our school time.

Mum tried to delay dinner as long as possible, because she was "sure that Percy's just running late", but eventually, Bill got it through her head that he would not be showing up. This left her rather quiet and disconnected during dinner, but other than that, it went well. After devouring as much as we could eat without exploding, it was gift time. Everyone seemed happy with what we got them, and thankfully, Ginny didn't seem to notice that hers was originally an apology.

Fred and I got, as usual, Christmas jumpers with our initials from Mum, Dad gave us a Muggle camera ("Fascinating, isn't it? The pictures don't move!"), and sweets from just about everyone else, which was fine by us. Aside from the camera, one other thing really struck our fancy, and that was Hermione's gift. It was a book (of course) called **100 Seemingly Useless Spells & Creative Ways To Use Them**. We knew this would be rather useful to us, seeing as 'seemingly useless' is our specialty.

"Fred, George, haven't you gotten each other anything?" Mum asked, knitting her eyebrows. Oh, wow, Fred and I completely forgot to get each other anything! Well, we did technically exchange gifts, but those were not for our parents eyes.

"Oh, er… well we just decided that, uh, just hanging out today was good," I shrugged.

"Yeah, I mean, we don't need to get each other anything," Fred backed me up. "We just enjoyed each others company, he smiled, nudging me.

"Oh, well that's lovely, boys," Mum beamed.

"Oh, and Bill and Charlie… Sorry we didn't get you anything," I apologized sheepishly.

"Yeah, we didn't know you'd be coming," Fred rubbed the back of his neck.

"No worries little bros," Bill grinned, and I flinched at being called "little bro". Ever since Percy had moved out, we had grown used to being the oldest. "We're just enjoying _your_ company," he patted our shoulders.

The rest of the night was spent just talking, but I wasn't really all there. My mind and eyes kept drifting to Fred. I'm pretty sure that the family just sort of stopped asking me stuff because I wasn't answering anyway. I couldn't help it; it was Christmas, and I had a second gift in mind for him. I knew we already exchanged gifts, but I wanted to give him something for Christmas day, and all I could think about was how we had yet to consummate that engagement. No better time than Christmas, right?

I saw how involved Fred was in the conversation and wondered if he even wanted to. What if he wasn't in the mood? Oddly, the thought of him resisting just turned me on more.

I forced myself to listen for another ten minutes, before slowly standing up, and slinking out of the living room, unnoticed. Fred caught my eye, and excused himself, saying he would be back in a few minutes. He winked at me as he followed me to the stairs. Oh, hell yes, we're gonna get it on.

We quietly flew up the stairs before Mum and Dad could notice that we had left. I shut the bedroom door softly behind us, and turned around to look at Fred. He was staring at me, not moving, not breathing, and not speaking. A full ten seconds passes before he finally moved.

He practically jumped at me, grabbing my forearms and crashed our lips together. He kissed me hungrily, running his hands all over me. I returned the favor, pulling open his flannel, forcing it off his shoulders, and pushing my hands up under his white shirt. I pushed him on to the bed, and he sat with me straddling his lap. My hands moved to the button of the jeans, and I unbuttoned them. I pulled on his zipper and-

"Fred, George! Come down, it's time for dessert!" Mum yelled. We groaned loudly, and I stood up. Way to cockblock, Mum.

**- oOo -**

**A/N- Again, I'm so sorry this took so long, and I apologize for any mistakes. I typed this at light speed. **

**Anyway, I really hope yo liked it! Don't forget to review, and don't kill me!**


	44. New Year's

**A/N- Oh dear lord, it's been a while. **

**I am SO sorry, I have no valid excuse other than I have just been downright lazy, and I am so sorry. School did get in the way a bit, seeing as I'm rather busy this year, but overall, it's my fault entirely. **

**Fortunately, I'll have more time to write now, and I do not plan on leaving you like that again.**

**On with the show!**

**-oOo-**

Chapter 44: New Year's

I think it goes without saying that the mood was lost after Mum called us downstairs, and it didn't come back. I didn't count it as too much of a loss though. They say that for women, eating chocolate is more pleasurable than sex, and I assume the same goes for gay men.

Percy, shockingly enough, did end up making an appearance that night. He popped in right as the after-dessert dishes were cleaned up, stuttering out apologies left and right for his tardiness. Mum ate it up, telling him he needn't be sorry, because he has such a strenuous job, after all. Fred and I weren't so keen to forgive. In fact, we weren't keen at all. Ron and Ginny had nothing good to say either, and Harry was in a bit of an awkward position; obviously he was not Perce's biggest fan, but he generally did not have a scathing opinion of him either. He made do with a curt nod and a "happy Christmas, mate."

Bill and Charlie got their kicks win, but once they got it out, they sat him down to catch up on each other. I've got to hand it to them, they have far more patience and tolerance for Percy's bullshit than I do.

Despite being the last to arrive, Percy was the first to leave, as was expected. Mum was the only one who cared he was going. About two or three hours later, Bill and Charlie bid their farewell, and headed off. With that, Mum and dad retired to bed; it was well after midnight. Ron and Harry disappeared after that to do Merlin-knows-what, and Ginny and Hermione holed themselves up in Ginny's room. With "the mood" having been abruptly thrown off a cliff earlier, Fred and I decided to call it a night, and head off to bed.

That Wednesday, I decided it would be a good idea to call Kate, since we would be returning to Hogwarts in a week. I asked Fred if he wanted to come along, despite my better judgment, since he would probably say something stupid to try and give me a heart attack. He agreed to come with me, so we made our way out of the house and down to Dad's shed. I picked up the phone and dialed her number. She picked up after three rings.

"Hello?"

"Hi, Kate, it's me, George," I said cheerily.

"Oh, hey! I'm glad you called, I've been sitting in the shop alone for hours, and it's starting to get rather boring," Kate said, a smile evident in her voice.

"It's only just starting to get boring?" I chuckled.

"Yes, well, counting the floorboards can only entertain me for so long," she said sarcastically.

"I can imagine."

"Anyway, I'm also glad you called because I have something important to tell you." Kate's voice faltered, and she sounded nervous. I leaned against the workbench. Fred must have noticed the concerned look on my face, because he was whispering for me to tell him what was wrong. I silently shushed him.

"What is it?" I inquired, eyebrows knit. There was a pause on the line, and I thought for a moment that she had changed her mind about telling me.

"I'm not quite sure how to say this…" she trailed off quietly. "Well, I know how to say it, I'm just afraid to. Although I'm sure you won't be mad at me, you don't seem the type, but this sort of thing changes people, you know? Oh, of course you don't know, I haven't told you yet," she rambled, her words slamming together in a twist of consonants and vowels.

"Kate, slow down!" I spoke over her. "Relax, just tell me what it is, it can't be that bad."

"Um, well," she hesitated again, then took a deep breath. "George… I think I'm pregnant."

Her words didn't quite register with me properly.

"Is that good or bad?" I asked.

"What?" she sounded bewildered.

"Well I mean, teen pregnancy is never really a fully good thing, but it _is_ the gift of life," I shrugged, even though she couldn't see. Fred looked bewildered, and leaned in close so he could hear Kate as well. "Who's the father?" I asked. I hadn't been aware that Kate was seeing someone. Wait, did that mean she had cheated on someone with me? Not like I would be able to reprimand her is she had; she and I were in the same boat, if that were the case.

"You," she said so quietly that I had to ask her to speak up. "You, George," she said a bit louder. "It's you, you're the father. If I am really pregnant, that is," she added quickly.

That was it. End game.

Abort mission.

Rewind.

Rewrite.

Oh Merlin, it felt like I was underwater. She was saying something else, but it sounded muffled and far away. Everything in front of me was warped and distorted and I felt dizzy. Fred was staring at me in shock. He almost looked as if he didn't believe me, but all the pieces were clicking into place. The dots connected into a clear picture, the symphony had reached its crescendo, the final puzzle piece had been added, and everything became painfully clear in his mind. I could see it in his eyes, wide with realization. Everything I told him and hinted at a few days ago, everything he had been trying to push down into the back of his mind was resurfacing. He wanted to forget it, he didn't want to believe it, he had hoped it was not real, but now there was no denying it. Fred took a step back, but didn't leave.

"Me?" I choked out dumbly. "I… What do you mean _if_?" I managed to ask.

"Well, I've just taken the pregnancy test this morning, and we only just had- well, it only just happened about a week ago, so I can't be 100 percent, but …"

"What other explanation is there?" I finished for her. "Oh M- my God." My breathing picked up and I was on the verge of hyperventilating. "I'm coming down there right now," I said. My voice cracked.

"Okay," was all Kate said, and then I hung up. I didn't want to look at Fred; I was terrified. I placed the phone back on the receiver. My lips pressed together in a thin line to prevent myself from saying anything stupid. I chanced a look at Fred, but his eyes were fixated on the floor.

"I have to go see her," I said at last. My voice was raspy and quiet.

"I'll come with you," Fred replied without hesitation. He looked up and made eye contact.

"Oh, Merlin, I am in so much trouble," I groaned, and dug the heels of my palms into my eyes. "I don't know what I'm going to do."

"Yeah, well, imagine how she must feel," Fred pointed out. I couldn't make out the tone of his voice. It was almost emotionless, but not quite. A long moment of silence passed before I threw myself at Fred, wrapping my arms around his waist. I buried my face in the crook of his neck and sighed brokenly.

"I'm so sorry."

"I'm not the one you need to say sorry to," Fred said awkwardly, and ran his hand up and down my back. I squeezed my eyes shut. I kept them tightly closed until bursts of color began blooming behind my eyelids.

"No, Fred, I do need to apologize to you. I shouldn't have even done it in the first place," I said, lightly shaking my head, my voice muffled against Fred's skin. "You must hate me."

"Honestly, I'm sick of being mad at you and fighting with you," Fred said, and pulled my head up so I could look at him. "I could storm off and shout obscenities until the village hears me, and fight you for a week and try to get my revenge on you, but _I don't want to_. I don't want to be mad at you. If anyone should be mad at you, it's Kate, since she's gonna have to carry a mini you for the next nine months," he rolled his eyes, and I bit back a smile. "I've hardly seen you at all this last week, and I don't want to waste any more of it just because you made a stupid mistake. Let's just go down to talk to Kate, sort out what we can, and then come back here."

I looked at Fred for a long moment. "It's not that easy," I shook my head. "I can't just go down there, have a chat, and expect it to be all fine."

"I know, but there's nothing else you _can_ do right now. She doesn't even know for sure if she's pregnant or not. It could be a false alarm," he reminded me. I took a calming breath and nodded. He was right after all. She might not even be pregnant, and if she was, there was nothing I could do yet.

I leaned in and placed a soft kiss on Fred's lips.

"Yeah, okay. You're right."

"I'm always right," he smirked. I let myself smile, and we headed off for St. Ottery Catchpole.

I was hesitant to go into the shop when we first arrived. I spent a good ten minutes just pacing outside, much to Fred's displeasure. He didn't rush me though; he just stood against the wall shivering like a leaf.

I didn't know what I planned to say to Kate. 'Congrats, you're carrying my kid'? 'If you're lucky, it'll be a false alarm'? Neither seemed appropriate, and I would seem insensitive. But what the hell else would I say? I wasn't prepared to be a sixteen-year-old father. Well, seventeen when it was born. IF it was born. IF she was even pregnant. That scared me the most; the 'if'. If she didn't know for sure now, she wouldn't before Fred and I left to Hogwarts, and that would leave me stressed out for the rest of the term, wondering if she was really pregnant, what the gender was, what she wanted to name it. If she really was pregnant, she would be well along by the time we came home for the summer. About six months, which would put her due date either right before or right after school started again. I wasn't ready for this.

I motioned to Fred that I was going inside, and he followed me with a look of relief on his face. I pushed the frosty door open, and saw Kate sitting behind the counter with a book in hand, reading. She looked up when she heard me come in, traces of solemnity etched into her features. She picked something up off the counter; a plastic stick of some sort. She looked as though she expected me to know what it was, and held it out to me. I stepped slowly forward, and took it from her trembling hand. A little pink plus sign stared me in the face.

"The pregnancy test," she spoke up, nodding to the stick in my hand. "It says positive, but it could be a false alarm," she shrugged. I bit my lip and handed it back to her. She tapped it on the counter a few times, as if willing the plus sign to go away. "Hi, Fred," she greeted him, but it was an afterthought.

"Hey there," he nodded, and sucked in his breath. He rocked on his heels, looking between Kate and I.

"I don't know if I should keep it," Kate said. "I mean, I know I can't really afford to take care of it, and my place is really a bad environment for a baby, I wouldn't be able to live with myself if I aborted it."

Aborted it? As in, kill it? Did people do that?

"I think you should keep it," Fred blurted. "Well, you may not be able to keep it at your house, but don't abort it," he added. "You could give it to someone else, or let someone adopt it."

"I- it's not only my decision to make," she said quietly, and looked at me. "You're the father, you get a say."

I opened my mouth, but no words came out. I was at a loss. I wouldn't be able to take it, Mum would kill me if she found out I got a girl pregnant, and a Muggle, nonetheless. Kate couldn't keep it because of her home life, but I could not imagine her aborting it. I would feel awful.

"I think you should keep it," I decided. "I don't know what you can do with it after that, but don't kill it. Don't abort it." It almost sounded like I was pleading with her. She merely nodded. I wasn't sure what to say after that, so Fred did the talking. A few minutes later, we were leaving the shop and heading back to the Burrow.

**O*O*O*O*O*O*O*O**

The rest of the week sort of passed in a daze, and Saturday night found me sitting between Fred's knees, leaning against him with my ear pressed to his chest, listening to his heartbeat. He rubbed one hand up and down the length of my arm, and the other hand was threaded through my hair. Tonight was New Year's Eve, and midnight was less than ten minutes away. I sat up a bit so I could rest my head on Fred's shoulder.

"It's almost the new year," I mumbled, after glancing at my watch. The rest of the family was downstairs, preparing to celebrate, but Fred and I had told them we were going to bed. They questioned us for a few minutes, but we insisted. I wondered if they had noticed that I'd been a bit off, but if they did, they didn't mention it.

"I know," Fred replied, pressing his face into my hair and inhaling.

We'd been sitting together for hours, not speaking. I didn't want to speak. I just wanted to lay against Fred's warm body, and not think. The ticking of my watched seemed louder now, as it approached 12. Fred looked down at my watch. Less than a minute now. His eyes followed each minute tick, each fractional movement of the hands.

"Ten… nine… eight… seven…" he began counting down. "Six… five… four…" I looked up at hum, and he locked eyes with me. "Three… two… one…"

He placed his hand under my chin and dipped his head.

"Happy New Year," he whispered, and gently kissed my lips.

**-oOo-**

**A/N- Did this chapter please you? Does it make you want to forgive me for my disappearance? Probably not, but I hope you enjoyed the chapter anyway. **

**Sorry for any typos- I typed this rather quickly. **


	45. Chipper

**A/N- This did take a lot longer than I expected. I'm sorry, but my laptop has been screwing up and won't connect to the internet, so this is being updated from my mom's.**

**We'll be getting back into the swing of things by the next chapter, so enjoy this fluffy filler. **

**And also, I joined Pottermore yesterday, FINALLY! So if you are on Pottermore too, add me. My username is SilverScarlet6522**

**-oOo-**

Chapter 45: Chipper

Despite the events of the last two weeks, I did not want to return to school. The holiday had consisted of a little good and a lot of bad, but that bit of good was keeping me upright. Going back to school would make the good disappear for another six months, leaving me with all the bad. Not that Kate being pregnant was _bad_, per say. Well it _was_ bad, but not- Oh Merlin, I don't know anymore.

I had no idea what to do about Kate. I couldn't tell Mum or Dad, they'd murder me for sure. Ron and Ginny were out of the question; one of them would end up opening their big mouths to my parents out of spite at some point or another for something I said or did. I really wanted to tell Hermione, but I was hesitant. No doubt I'd get a never-ending lecture that I neither wanted nor needed, and I feared that she would tell Ginny or my parents, being the goody-two-shoes that she is. Or worse… make _me_ tell them. If I had my way, Fred wouldn't even know, but it was for the best, I suppose.

But my family was the least of my problems. If Kate decided to keep the baby, there was an all-too-high possibility of it being born a witch or wizard, and then I would have a lot of explaining to do. What if it did end up having magical blood, and it affected Kate during the pregnancy somehow? Any ability I had left to live with myself would be completely abolished.

I tapped my foot against the seat opposite me in the train. We were about an hour away from Hogwarts now, and most of my time had been spent thinking and sleeping. I had yet to say a word aloud, but Fred was the only one with me in the compartment, so I didn't feel the need to strike up any unnecessary conversation.

Unfortunately, my uninterrupted thoughts could not remain so, because our compartment door slid open to reveal an eager-looking Lee. Maybe it was actually fortunate; a much-needed distraction, perhaps.

"Afternoon, you two, I've been searching for you," he grinned.

"For the entire ride?" Fred inquired.

"On and off," Lee shrugged, and sat down across from me and next to Fred.

Fred and Lee spent most of the remaining hour talking about the holiday. Lee went into full detail about his family gatherings and visits to other cities, and Fred gave a general rundown of our "rather boring" time spent at home, leaving out quite a bit as needed. Neither of them tried to coax me into the conversation, Lee having noticed my quiet mood, for which I was grateful. Every so often though, one of them would shoot me a worried glance, which I ignored.

We arrived at half-past five, which took us straight into the Great Hall for dinner. Picking at my food would have nicely accentuated my mood, but I was starving, and the dramatics could wait until later. I leaned against Fred while I ate, and he wound a protective arm around my waist, despite the danger.

Hermione quickly joined us, and sat across the table.

"George, are you alright?" she inquired, genuine concern lacing her voice. "You kept to yourself a lot the past week."

"I'm fine," I said, mustering up a rather convincing voice. "I just haven't been sleeping well is all. Been a bit knackered."

"You might want to see Madame Pomfrey about a sleeping potion for that," she suggested, not seeing through my blatant lie.

"Yeah, I'll do that," I smiled, and returned to my food.

If I had to be at school, I was at least glad it was staring in the middle of the week, Wednesday. This meant that the weekend would be arriving seemingly ahead of schedule, thank Merlin. Enduring a sfull week of lessons was at the bottom of my 'Thing I Want to Do' list.

My mind drifted back to Kate, and I wondered what she was doing. At school, probably, pretending she didn't have a thousand problems. I really wished there was a way to keep in contact with her, but it was impossible; owls were out of the question, and there were no telephones at Hogwarts. Well, none that I knew of, anyway. I wouldn't put it past Dumbledore to have one lying around in his office. I wanted to keep in touch with her, see how she was doing, and hopefully figure out if she was pregnant for sure. I felt bad, being disconnected from her like that. I knew it wasn't my fault, but that dull ache of guilt still sent heavy pangs through my chest.

When dinner was over, I just sort of drifted up to the common room after getting my scedual. Double potions to start off the next day; great…

Harry managed to drag Draco up to the Gryffindor common room, and they were seated in front of the fireplace exchanging late Christmas gifts. Hermione and Ginny were heading up to their dormitory, talking about the next day's lesson. I just sort of sat down on the sofa and fell silent. Fred took a seat next to me and tapped his fingers on his knees.

"You've gotta stop worrying," Fred said, looking at me. I didn't even have to explain what was wrong with that sentence before he corrected himself. "Don't stop _worrying_, I guess, since you really should be worrying, but stop beating yourself up about it."

"I deserve to beat myself up about it," I said matter-of-factly.

"You couldn't have prevented it," he reasoned.

"Are you joking?" I raised an eyebrow, and dug my palms into my eyes.

"By which I mean a contraceptive charm was out of the question, since she's a Muggle," he rolled his eyes.

"I don't even _know_ a contraceptive charm!" I whispered in distress. "I never really expected to need one," I gestured between us, irritated. "You are completely avoiding the fact that I wouldn't have even needed contraceptives if I hadn't gone down there in the first place. You are determinedly dancing around my mistake as if it's the most normal thing in the world!"

"It's not your fault," Fred said calmly.

"It is _entirely_ my fault! I should not have gone to Kate in the first place. I was being stupid and irrational, and I'm the only one to blame." I raked a hand through my hair, hoping my finalizing tone would put his argument to rest.

Fred pursed his lips, not ready to give up the fight. I could tell he was struggling to keep his cool. "Stop blaming yourself. If anyone is to blame, it's me," he said, his voice tight.

I paused. To an extent, he was right; had he not started using heroine, he wouldn't have been high at the Masquerade, I wouldn't have thought we were broken up, and I wouldn't have taken Hermione's stupid advice, and Kate would have never even been a factor.

But I didn't want to blame Fred. It didn't matter that he was indirectly involved. I had to take responsibility for my own actions. I'd handle my part, and he'd handle his.

"I don't want to blame you," I said calmly. "I fucked up, and I'll handle it. If you think you did anything wrong, you can handle that, but I'm not putting anything on you."

Fred was very obviously trying to stop himself from raising his voice, and his voice came out eerily soft and calm. "George. I made the first mistake. After that, it was a domino effect that I, and I alone, set in motion. Everything you did was a result of what I did. You don't have to blame me, but I _am_ blaming myself. Whether you want to see it or not, the blame rests solely. On. Me."

"Stop it, just stop it. Stop this, honestly!" I buried my face in my hands.

"Stop what?" Fred now sounded utterly exasperated. "I'm only telling you how it is; that is the reality of it!"

I shook my head, but remained silent. It was obvious that I was getting nowhere.

"I'm sorry," Fred said after a moment. Answering my unasked question, he continued, "I'm sorry for my part in what's going on, and I'm sorry for what you have to go through, and I'm sorry for rowing with you about it. I'm here for you; you know that, I just… I don't want you to be under any more pressure than you already are. Possibly being a father is enough without sticking yourself with all the blame when the whole mess could have been avoided." His words come softly, but strongly. "I'm fully prepared to do whatever it takes to make things easier for you until-and after- we know for sure if Kate is pregnant. I don't know when that'll be, but when we do figure it out, I'm here for you. For both of you."

I let my hands drop into my lap, and I stared at the fireplace. I let out the breath I didn't know I'd been holding, and pressed my lips together before turning my head to face Fred. He was looking at the floor with his hands clasped together. He had a hard look on his face; not angry, but far from content.

"Thank you," I said softly, unsure of what else to say. Ant form of thanks would be lost on his words, wouldn't measure up by any standards. So I left it at a simple, spoken word of thanks. Fred nodded and took a hesitant breath.

"Well… That was rather grown up of us, wasn't it?" forcing a reserved laugh.

"Yeah, well, making grown-up mistakes means taking grown-up actions, and making grown-up apologies." I offered a smile. He looked at me and smiled back, unclasping his hands so he could hold mine. He locked our fingers together and squeezed reassuringly.

And for a moment, I was okay.

**O*O*O*O*O*O**

I did not want to get up in the morning. Double potions was calling my name and I was not eager to respond, especially since it was with the bloody Hufflepuffs.

I forced myself to sit up, and in those few seconds, I forgot what had me so upset for the past few days. Then, I remembered. I groaned and laid back down, with no intentions of getting up, but Fred had other plans.

"C'mon, lazy, get your sexy arse up out of bed!" He slapped my chest as he passed, the heavy thudding of his trainers telling me he was already dressed.

"I don't want to," I complained, and rolled over so I could shove my face into the pillow. Fred's next slap came down between my shoulder blades, and stung. I groaned my discontent incoherently into my pillow before allowing him to haul me up.

"Didn't we discuss this? No more moping about?"

"Not in so many words."

"Well here are those words: No more moping. No more being depressed, no more walking around like your half-dead, and no more worrying. Not for the time being, anyway." He pulled me to my feet and patted me on the shoulders. "There's a good lad" he smiled. I rolled my eyes at him, and yanked my shirt up over my head so I could change. As soon as the fabric covered my eyes, I felt Fred's lips over my right nipple, then my left. I gasped and staggered back, nearly losing my balance. I ripped the shirt off my head and tossed it onto the bed.

"What's got you in such a good mood?"

"I dunno. Nothing in specific… I just feel good today," he grinned, and kissed me right on the mouth. No one else was in the room, so he let it linger. "Now get dressed," he demanded, and clomped out of the room. I stood in my spot for a moment after he left, dazed. I shook my head, and changed into my clothes.

When I entered the Great Hall, Fred was already seated and chatting away to Lee and at Hermione, even though she wasn't listening to him. I took a seat next to Fred, despite his fairly unwelcome chipper attitude, and got to eating. As Hermione would say, "I'll need my strength" if I wanted to get through a double potions lesson with the Hufflepuffs without killing someone. Fred made sore to keep a hand on me at all times. I couldn't tell you why, but I wasn't about to go complaining about it. At that moment, his hand was on my knee and he was drumming his fingers, which was actually rather calming.

Fred's good mood did not go unnoticed by anyone else, and as such, it was commented upon.

"You seem rather upbeat today, Fred," Hermione observed.

"So I've been told," he said, throwing a wink my way.

"Well it's nice to see you in a good mood," Hermione smiled, then excused herself to class, so she could get there early. I had to agree; seeing Fred in a good mood was a welcome change.

**O*O*O*O*O**

The two-and-a-half week long holiday seemed to take from our potions abilities (if we had any in the first place), and we were obviously rusty. Snape wasted no time commenting on it and reporting it to the whole class. The Hufflepuffs got a good laugh out of it, and _we_ got a good laugh when the sticky by-product of what was supposed to be a Draught of Living Death ended up in Andy Baulderston's hair, effectively making all of it fall out. We weren't surprised when that landed us our first detention of the year. We also weren't surprised when Hermione berated us for it.

But it didn't take away from Fred's chipper mood.

**-oOo-**

**A/N- Alrighty, I hope you enjoyed this fluffy little filler chapter. Again, sorry it took longer than expected.**

**Sooo, I'm going to try and end this fic on an even fifty chapters, that way we can get on with the sequal. I have a vague idea of what I want to do with it, and I'm getting to a good stopping point. The sequal Is not going to start where this one leaves off, though. It's going to take place primarily over the summer, possibly a bit into the next school year.**

**If you have any questions about that, feel free to PM me.**

**See you soon!**


	46. The Waiting Game

**A/N- Well, we're approaching the end; only four chapters left after this one. If you haven't author alerted, and you want to read the coming sequel, I suggest you do so, because it might be a little while before I actually begin posting the sequel. I don't mean like, a long time, but it won't be right away. I want to have some of the chapters already written before I begin posting, plus I'll be working on a Sherlock fan fiction.**

**Also, I meant to have this typed up earlier, but I honestly just kind of got lazy… But here it is, and I apologize for lateness!  
**

**Anyway, enjoy the chapter!**

**-oOo-**

Chapter 46: The Waiting Game

"Alright, honestly, why are you so happy? There is no reason to be happy." I drummed my fingers against my leg, fidgeting against the back of the armchair I was sitting in. Fred was stretched out across the couch, much to the displeasure of a pair of third years. His hands were rested comfortably behind his head, and he was grinning like he'd won a million galleons. The reason for his cheerful demeanor escaped me.

"Dunno," he said. "I've just got a good feeling.

"About what?" I asked incredulously. "What is there to have a good feeling about? Everything has gone to part since the term started!"

I wasn't exaggerating; since we'd gotten back from the Christmas holiday, nothing had been going well. Along with copious amounts of class time with Hufflepuffs and Slytherins and Monday's detention, we'd gotten another detention for PDA, got yelled at for missing two transfiguration essays, got another detention for skiving potions, usual crap from the three Hufflepuffs who had made it their mission to ruin our lives, _another_ detention for getting into a yelling match with a Slytherin, and lost a total of at least 100 points from Gryffindor. There was no time to be happy.

"If I knew, I'd tell you," he said and sat up. "I just feel like now that we've had an all-around bad week, it'll all be uphill from here."

"I think you mean, 'it'll all be _downhill_ from here'," I corrected him. He waved it off.

"Would you feel better if I told you that I don't think Kate is pregnant?" he asked, facing me.

"Unless you have hard evidence and facts, no, not really," I crossed my arms.

"Er, no facts or evidence, but I do believe I share the gift of women's intuition."

"Oh really?"

"Yeah, I mean, how would she know after just a week?" he threw his hands in the air. "I'm no anatomist, but I'm fairly sure that it takes longer than a bloody week to know for sure."

"But she took a… pregnancy test thing," I retorted. "And besides, she never said she knew for sure."

"Exactly! So it was probably a false alarm!" Fred exclaimed.

"I guess we'll know for sure this summer," I clucked my tongue and sucked in my breath.

"Perhaps sooner," he winked.

"Sooner? Need I remind you, oh fountain of knowledge, that I have no way of getting in contact with Kate. The waiting game is on," I sighed heavily. Fred adopted a smug smirk. "Alright, you obviously know something I don't know."

"I never said that."

"You don't have to say it, you might as well be holding a massive sign that says 'I have a secret'," I rolled my eyes. "Given the situation, I'm slightly worried."

Fred moved over to the edge of the sofa closest to me, and leaned over the arm. "What if I told you that I found out a way to get in contact with her?" he asked mischievously.

"I'd ask what law you broke."

"I didn't break any laws. I didn't even break any school rules," he said with a smirk.

"Shocking," I said sarcastically. "I thought we were being hypothetical?"

"Oh, of course, _completely_ hypothetical. So let's say… _hypothetically_, that I wrote out a note, gave it to a school owl, sent it to Bill along with a separate note specifying a place to deliver the other note? And what if that specific place happened to be the workplace of a certain black-haired girl whose name rhymes with 'fate'?" Fred was practically vibrating with excitement.

I blinked. "You sent a note to Kate? Legally?" I asked, almost unable to form a coherent sentence.

"Well, not directly, but for all intents and purposes, yes," he smiled.

"Fred…"

"You're not angry with me are you?" he winced.

No! Fred, you are a genius! I can't believe I didn't think of something like that!" I grinned. I lept from the armchair and pulled Fred up into a hug.

"My brilliance is a gift," he chuckled.

"What did the note say?" I asked, my hands still on his shoulders.

"I just asked how she's doing, how school and work are going, you know. I told her that Bill will be by at the end of the month to get her reply so that she can confirm her pregnancy or not," he explained.

I paused.

"That's terrifying…" I realized. "That means in two weeks I'm going to know if I'm a father or not…" Fred pressed his lips together and nodded solemnly. "Wait, did you sign it from you?" I asked. Fred technically wasn't supposed to know about Kate's situation. Then again, she really shouldn't have expected me to keep it from him, of all people.

"No, I signed it from you," he assured me. "But I honestly don't think she would have been mad if it had been from me," he shrugged.

"So I'm guessing this is why you're so chipper?" I asked, smiling lightly.

"You bet," he grinned.

"And now we wait?"

"Now we wait."

**-oOo-**

Waiting turned out to be easier said than done. I was constantly distracted by the thought of what Kate's answer would be, and what I would do. Her dad's reaction came to the front of my mind, and I nearly had a panic attack. IF her dad was as bad as he sounded, I shuddered to think about what he would do to Kate when he found out if she was pregnant. Would he let her keep it? Would he hurt her? Kick her out? It's not like she would be able to hide it from him for long. This led to a whole new branch of thought as far as what _my_ parents would say, but that was a worry for another time. These thoughts forced a wave of overwhelming guilt to crash over me. Fred could tell me all he wanted that I wasn't at fault, but the fact of the matter was that anything bad that happened to Kate would be a result of my actions. Several times I worried that Kate's father would do some sort of irreversible damage to her. I relayed these worries to Fred, and though he seemed concerned, he advised me not to dwell on them.

The days dragged by at an agonizingly slow pace, and it drove me mad. Lessons had always sort of been low on my list of priorities, but now that I had a myriad of other things to add to the list, they had drifted even further from my mind. Fred had actually taken it upon himself to start taking notes, much to my surprise, so that I wouldn't fail tests. Even friends had fallen to the wayside, which didn't go unnoticed. I had taken to going immediately up to the dorms after lessons and dinner. Fred began referring to me as the "Hermit of Gryffindor". It caught on fast.

Hermione questioned me whenever she could catch me, but I gave her the same sorts of answers each time: that I'm fine, nothing's wrong, I just need to get some sleep. I could tell that she didn't believe a word, but she didn't press the matter. I foresaw a long uncomfortable conversation in the future.

"George… George!"

I jerked out of my thoughts. I was sitting on the sofa in the common room, and Fred was sitting next to me, giving me _the look. _

"You've been staring at the fireplace for over an hour. Are you blind yet?" he clucked his tongue and waved a hand in front of my eyes. I snorted and checked my watch; it was almost eleven. I didn't even remember sitting down. It was Thursday night, so everyone was already in bed.

"No, not blind. Just multi-colored dots floating in my peripheral," I chuckled. Fred smiled, but it looked forced.

"If I wasn't worried about you before, then I am now," he said. "Actually, I was worried before, so I'm a bit on edge now. You've sort of checked out, and I'd really like for you to come back."

"Sorry, I'm just a bit preoccupied," I grimaced.

"I noticed."

I sucked in my breath and squeezed my eyes shut, willing all the things I'd been worrying about to disappear. It didn't work quite as well as I wanted it to, but my mind was clearer than it was before. Small victories, I suppose. I opened my eyes and exhaled.

"You've got my full attention. I'm checked in," I smiled, and rearranged myself so that I was facing him completely. He had one foot on the ground, and the other on the couch with his knee drawn up.

"You sure?" he asked, giving me another pointed look, eyebrows raised.

"Yes."

"Positive?"

"Yes!" I laughed.

"Good," Fred grinned, and moved himself forward. He sat himself directly in front of me, put his hand on my shoulder, and pulled me forward into a kiss. He carded his other hand through my hair and pressed his lips firmly to mine. I had no problem dispelling the rest of my worries, at least for the moment. The hand on my shoulder snaked around to the nape of my neck, and he moved his lips softly against mine, keeping it strictly closed mouth. He pulled back for a moment and pondered me.

"You're not thinking of another woman are you?" he inquired, feigning jealousy. I rolled my eyes and shook my head.

"You're the only woman I'm thinking of," I said endearingly.

"I oppose the decision that I'm the woman!" he pouted, and stoked my hair, flattening the fringe.

"But you do girly thing like that," I chuckled. "And let's not forget that you yourself said that you share the gift of women's intuition," I added.

"Picky picky," he waved it away.

I shook my head in amusement. "Whatever," I giggled, and pulled him back to me by the front of his shirt. He grinned and straddled my lap. He threaded the fingers of his left hand through my hair, and his other hand came to rest at the side of my neck, as he brought our lips together again.

"I love you, you know that?" he mumbled against my lips. "Even though you're an idiot."

"Even geniuses make mistakes, but that doesn't make them idiots," I replied smartly.

"Oh, so now you're a genius?" he snickered.

"I've _always_ been a genius. You've said so yourself on numerous occasions."

"Are you sure I wasn't talking about myself?"

I rolled my eyes and playfully shoved him away, moving to sit on the opposite side of the couch. "Positive," I said.

Fred yawned. "Merlin, I'm tired."

"Yeah, I'll bet. Being a smart-ass is hard work, isn't it?" I stood up off the sofa and offered him a hand. He accepted, and pulled himself up.

"It's a thankless job," he smirked. "But somebody's got to do it."

"Right," I snorted. "Well I'm going to bed. You coming?"

"Yes dear," Fred replied, sounding like a man stuck in a monotonous marriage with a boring house wife. I shook my head and smiled.

"So what sort of benefits do you get?" I asked as I walked up the stairs. "Working as a smart-ass and all."

"Oh, you would be surprised," he winked, and followed me up.

**-oOo-**

**A/N- Repo! The Genetic Opera reference, anyone?**

**Hopefully the next chapter will be up sooner, but I'm not setting anything in stone.**

**Hope you enjoyed! :D**


	47. Growing Up

**A/N- Sorry this is so late, seriously. But luckily, it's summer now and I graduated high school earlier this month, so I have way more writing time. Booyah!**

**Remember, only three more chapters after this one.**

**-oOo-**

Chapter 47:Growing Up

Two weeks after Fred told me about his letter to Kate, I'd been obsessively asking him if he's gotten any response. He gave me the same answer each time: "You'll know when I do". This could have meant two things, of course; that he'd tell me when he got it, or that I would be there when it was delivered, which was true, I suppose. I knew I was getting on his nerves, but I was anxious. Not knowing was the worst part of the entire situation, and I was at my wits end. The end of the month could not come quick enough.

Would I or would I not be a father?

**-oOo-**

"So, Harry, any word on the third task of the tournament yet?" I asked at breakfast on Saturday morning. Normally, I wouldn't be out of bed before noon on a Saturday, but the Hogsmede trip was that morning, so I made the exception.

Harry shook his head. "I have no idea what it's going to be," he sighed. "It's coming up in a few weeks, but none of us have been told what we're doing."

"Bummer, mate," Fred patted his shoulder sympathetically. "Don't worry though; it can't be harder than going up against a dragon."

"Or outsmarting Merpeople," I elbowed Harry with a grin, but he just shrugged.

"I s'pose," he murmured.

"Ah, c'mon mate, in a few weeks, people will have you hoisted up on a pedestal, praising you as their champion," I grinned.

"And if I lose?" Harry challenged with a hint of amusement. He cocked an eyebrow and drummed his fingers on the table.

"Well you'd still be cooler than any of us," Fred offered. Harry laughed at this and appeared to ease up.

"You know, if you don't die," I added, clapping him on the back. Harry tensed his shoulders and glared at me. "Kidding, kidding…"

I returned to my food, smiling in amusement. Between bites of toast, I noticed Hermione eyeing up Fred, who either didn't notice or didn't care.

"See something you like, Granger?" I asked, tilting my head toward Fred. She gave an eye roll and shook her head.

"I'm just wondering where his ring is," she said quietly.

Fred reached inside his shirt and pulled out the ring, which was dangling off the thin silver chain hanging around his neck. He subtly returned it below the neck line, and winked at Hermione, who nodded with a smile.

Fred had been wearing the ring on that chain ever since we got back to school, since he couldn't exactly wear it on his finger. I'll admit, it was a bit girly looking, and he couldn't have people asking about it, but he didn't want to leave it anywhere either, for fear of losing it. So he settled for wearing it around his neck, out of sight, which was fine by me.

After a few more minutes of eating like I had been starving for a year, McGonagall stood up and walked to Dumbledore's podium to announce that we would be leaving to Hogsmede in twenty minutes. This gave us enough time to finish eating, and go outside to congregate. Once a decently sized mob had formed, McGonagall led us to Hogsmede, and let us run rampant.

Fred, Hermione, and I broke off into our own small group and began making rounds. Fred and I insisted that our first stop be Zonko's, much to Hermione's displeasure, but she promised not to complain as long as Honeyduke's was the next stop. We agreed to her terms, and dragged her through Zonko's with no mercy. Good thing we took her with us too, because she stopped us from making impulse purchases that we would have regretted that night.

The next stop was Honeyduke's, just as promised, where we ran into Harry and Ron. Unsurprisingly, Ron had his nose in just about every rack, bin, and barrel of sweets he could reach, while Harry picked though a display of sugar quills. Hermione scrunched her nose up at Ron and breezed past him to get hands on the bin of chocolate frogs. Fred and I skulked around the blood pops, tempted to buy some, but decided against it; we tried using them to prank people last year, but it didn't end up being as funny as we'd wanted it to be.

Once Hermione made her purchase, we left Harry to his babysitting of Ronnikins, who was now fisting manically through a bin of chocolate galleons.

We left Honeyduke's and shuffled through the snow, not going anywhere in particular.

"We've got about an hour before we have to head back," Hermione said. "Why don't we head over to The Three Broomsticks for a drink before we go?" she suggested.

"Sounds good," Fred and I said in unison.

The Three Broomsticks is always a good place to stop at on a Hogsmede trip, especially in the winter. The inside is always warm and inviting, and the air always smells like butterscotch; the perfect first or last stop.

The three of us sat at a small table near the back. It was meant for two people, but I took a chair from the table behind it and sat on the side that faced the front of the room. We ordered three butterbeers and sat back in our seats, glad to be off our feet. Well, except Hermione. She stayed stick-straight in her chair, biting her lip and drumming her fingers on the wooden table. Fred clucked his tongue and raised his eyebrows at her, silently asking what was wrong. She knit her eyebrows and pressed her lips together, giving no readable answer.

"Alright, Granger, out with it," Fred said finally. "Something's got your knickers in a twist, might as well tell us now."

Hermione rolled her eyes, losing the worried expression long enough to be annoyed with Fred's blunt approach. "I'm probably going to regret asking, but while we're all in one place, I really want to know why you've been so upset lately, George," she said, directing her words at me. Now it was my turn to tap my fingers.

"Well you'd be upset if you were in his shoes right now, wouldn't you?" Fred snorted before I could open my mouth. I stopped tapping abruptly and cleared my throat.

"I'm sorry?" Hermione frowned.

"I mean, honestly, I'm surprised you haven't been up his arse about it."

"Fred-"

"About what?" Hermione asked.

"About Kate!" Fred said, exasperated, and shook his head. "I've been waiting for you to sit him down and give him a motherly lecture."

"Fred, shut up," I muttered, but there was no point.

"What?" he crossed his legs at the knee. I sighed.

"Who's Kate?" Hermione asked. "Is she the one you met over the holiday?"

"Yes," I said shortly.

"What's happened with her?" she asked.

Fred looked from me, to Hermione, and back to me. "You haven't told her?" he gaped. "You must be joking, I thought you told her before you told me!"

"Told me what?"

"Of course not! Why the hell would I do that? I'd be scheduling my death sentence!" I smacked my forehead, ignoring Hermione's confusion.

"Are you kidding me?" Fred asked incredulously. "You two have been chatting like a pair of old woman for the past month! You talk to her more than to talk to me!"

"Both of you shut up!" Hermione held her hands up to silence us. She looked from one of us to the other, and lowered her hands. "George, what happened to Kate?" she asked calmly, looking at me with hard eyes.

I pursed my lips and huffed out an irritated breath. There was no getting around it now, so what the hell?

"Kate might be pregnant," I said. Hermione seemed unaffected. "With my child," I clarified.

I think it took a moment for my words to sink in for her, because she didn't react right away. That look of confused frustration remained on her face for a good five or six seconds before it morphed into utter shock, then disgust, then disappointment. The disappointment was what I was most afraid of, other than the blinding anger that was surely soon to follow. She didn't say anything at first, like she was waiting for me to come out and say I was only joking, that I would never be that stupid. When I didn't, she took my silence as a cue to begin talking.

"Kate… is pregnant… and you are the father?" she asked in a hoarse whisper.

"Might be," I clarified.

"Might be what? Might be pregnant or might be the father?" she asked.

"Might be pregnant."

Her hope that it was the latter was shot. "You must be kidding," she shook her head. Again, my silence was her cue. "When did this even happen?"

"Over break," I said. "Remember when you told me to fool around with some girls to make Fred jealous? Then I told you I felt guilty when I did? Yeah, that's when it happened," I cocked an eyebrow.

"Not my most helpful advice, I'll admit, but that is not what I meant!" she groaned. "I thought you meant you'd kissed her, or just spent a lot of time with her or something!"

"If only that were the case," Fred rolled his eyes.

"Yes, yes, blowing _past_ your bad advice and my stupidity, there's nothing to be done about it now," I said matter-of-factly.

"Hey, look at you, not being down on yourself!" Fred said sarcastically.

"Oh, please, I still blame myself, and feel like a first-class git, but I'm saying that I can't do anything about it," I said, looking pointedly at him.

"Right, well it definitely explains why you've been so upset," Hermione sighed.

"So, what, no lecture?" I asked slowly.

"It's like you said, there's nothing to be done about it at this point, so a lecture would be a waste of breath," Hermione shrugged. "But don't think that I'm not monumentally angry with you," she added, before I could breathe my sigh of relief.

"Oh no, of course not. That would be tremendously ambitious of me," I rolled my eyes.

"Too right it would," Hermione replied haughtily. "So what are you going to do about it?" she asked.

Fred and I explained the note that was sent to Bill to give to Kate, and that we would know if she was pregnant or not by the end of the month. Hermione seemed the littlest bit happy that Fred had found a way to get a definite answer, but as they say, one good deed doesn't forgive a lifetime of sin, or whatever. She was set on getting involved in the whole thing, despite my attempts to dissuade her. Sure, I could use her help, but I really didn't want her constantly part of it. The way I saw it was that the more time she spent dwelling on it, the more time she had to decide that a lecture would not actually be a waste of breath. This was not something I wanted, so I decided that I would come to her for help on my own accord if I needed it. She seemed unwilling to agree at first, but I was too stubborn to let her have her way.

"Alright, fine," she huffed. "But if I have any suggestions, I will tell them to you whether you want to hear them or not," she said.

"We don't doubt it," Fred pressed his lips together. "But for the record, I think George wants to handle this himself."

"Yeah," I agreed. "It's my problem, I have to deal with it on my own," I said.

Hermione looked at me sadly. "You know, I'm starting to think you're a bit like Harry," she said with a heavy voice.

"What do you mean?" I asked quizzically.

"You're growing up too soon."

**-oOo-**

**A/N- Well, there we go. A bit shorter than I wanted it to be, but it helps us get closer to the conclusion. What shall happen? DUN DUN DUUUUN!**

**As far as I can see, I have room for conflict. Is there any type of conflict you want to see?**


	48. A Fine Line

**A/N- Welcome to chapter 48 of the story. Please be seated in front of your computer or mobile device so that we may begin.**

**Sorry this took so long. I've been really busy. **

**I wanted this story to end on an even 50, but it's looking like the next chapter will be the last.**

**-oOo-**

Chapter 48: A Fine Line

Sometimes I think I don't appreciate Fred enough. Had it been anyone else in his shoes, I would have received the verbal, and possibly physical, beat-down of a lifetime. Where Fred could have complained and yelled and blamed, he instead understood, calmed, and helped. I've really got to hand it to him for doing such a stand-up job of not brutally murdering me in my sleep.

Then again, there's a fine line between being unappreciative, and being so painfully aware of one's complete and utter understanding of an otherwise hectic situation that you cannot figure out a way to respond, so you don't. Well, to me, at least. I'd been oddly unquestioning of Fred's decision to let me live, most likely because I was afraid that if I did bring it up, he'd change his mind (justified as it may be). Hermione told me he was being a good brother, and I told her that was a bullshit response; being a good brother is getting you out of trouble with professors and telling Percy to go shove it when he tried to get you in line. Fred was going beyond the Realms of Good Brotherhood, and deep into the bowels of the Kingdom of Those Who Restore My Faith In Humanity.

Sentiment and 'tender loving care' have never been my strong points, so when I pulled Fred away from breakfast in the Great Hall, dragged him up to the common room, and ravished him like I hadn't seen him in years, it wasn't much of an 'awww' moment. I don' think that mattered much though. It's the thought that counts, after all. We may or may not have missed our first two lessons. By which I mean, we did.

"What's got you all hot and bothered?" Fred chuckled as he planted a kiss on my lips.

"Nothing out of the ordinary," I assured him. I straddled his lap and threaded my hands through his hair, eliciting a pleasured sigh.

"What, hormones then?" Fred asked sarcastically, grinning against my lips.

"I'm sure that's helping," I shrugged.

He didn't ask any more questions after that; he just let me go on doing what I was doing. Part of me wondered if he was just letting me get it –whatever 'it' was- out of my system. Then I thought I was being paranoid, and that I really should get over my fear of him being outrageously angry with me. If he wanted to say something about it, he would have by now. Or would he have? I guess it was another one of those fine lines; the fine line between assuredness and delusion.

With the end of the month approaching and the answer to the life changing question just nearly in our hands, Hermione said I should work on my maturity. Fred said Hermione should sod off. I rather liked Fred's answer. Personally, I thought being immature was a much better trait to have if you're going to be a father. You know, that way you can have fun with your kid. Better than being a rigid, stick-up-your-arse parent with a ton of rubbish rules, like Hermione would probably be. Scratch that; would _definitely _be. Or maybe that's the wrong mindset to have as a potential father. Hermione said it'll be just like when my parents had Bill; he was their first child, and it was their first swing at parenting. 'That's how it is for all parents,' she said. 'Babies don't come with a manual'. So I'd be on my own. Well, except for Fred, Hermione, and Kate, but it wasn't like any of them knew more than I did about parenting. Well, Hermione maybe.

Hermione was right when she said I was growing up too soon. A father at sixteen (going on seventeen). It's every mother's nightmare; their child being a teen parent. I knew enough to know that I wasn't exactly on the right path, and having my heart in the right place wasn't going to do me any good.

I felt so stuck in my position; assuming Kate was pregnant, I'd be stuck with a child I never wanted nor intended to have. It sounds awful, but it was the truth. If I could have taken it back, I would have. But then of course, it wasn't like I could just abandon her. What kind of person would I be if I walked away and let Kate handle it all on her own? I'd be an utter prick. Well, more of a prick than I already was.

That's another thing; Fred said I needed to quit feeling sorry for myself. He was right, of course, but it was a bit hard to just stop wallowing in my self-pity. It was my fault in the first place.

Ah, yes. He also said I have to stop blaming myself, yet another difficult thing to do when there really was no getting around it.

So the question remained: was I ready? Hell no, but I didn't have all that much choice. I wasn't going to exclude myself from this kid's life. Fred said I'm just getting started early. It didn't make me feel any better. It was nice that he tried though. It was nice that the both of them were trying; Fred and Hermione, I mean. I was bloody well on my own though, when it came down to it. Shape up or ship out, and I didn't intend to ship out. It'd take more than an unplanned pregnancy to get rid of me. Of course there was the possibility of it being nothing, just a false alarm, but I was preparing for the worst. Well, I say worst.

**-oOo-**

Two days later, Jilani tried chatting me up again. The idiot doesn't know when to quit. I'd not spoken to him since before the break, at the stupid masquerade, so I decided to humor him.

"Hey, George," he grinned, approaching me after Charms.

"Hi," I said shortly, very much _not_ in the mood to talk to him.

"How was your break?"

"Fine. Bit boring actually," I said, not looking at him. He walked along side me as I began walking to my next lesson.

"Well that's no fun," he chuckled. "You didn't do anything interesting?" he inquired.

"Not really," I said bluntly, trying to give him a hint that I didn't want to talk, but he didn't take it. "Listen Jilani, I really can't talk right now."

"Can't or won't?" he huffed.

I rolled my eyes. "Please don't even start. I've got a lot of crap on my mind and I literally cannot talk to anyone right now without my head exploding," I said calmly. "Please just let me go to class. Maybe I'll see you later." It was a lie, but I needed him off my tail.

"Right, sorry," Jilani muttered. "I'll catch up with you later then." I didn't answer. Blowing off Jilani wasn't as much of a guilt-trigger as blowing off anyone else would have been. It shouldn't have been one at all, but what can I say? I'm a nice guy.

I continued on to DADA, but I could barely pay attention to anything that was going on. My lack of concentration rendered me useless when it came time to continue practicing nonverbal spells. Owls would be coming up in the next few months, and I'd have to get my head straight if I wanted to pass anything. _Did_ I want to pass anything? For Mum's sake, it would be wise to at least put in some effort. I didn't think I'd be able to handle any more "why don't you take a page out of Percy's book and study for once?" lectures. Moody seemed a bit… _moody_ when he came round and saw me pretty much giving up on practicing, but he didn't say anything. Fred and Lee took a 'break' so they could stand around with me and discuss the pros and cons of using animation spells on joke products.

I was relieved when the end of the day arrived; slacking off is hard work. Hermione ruined it though, when she talked me into doing my potions essay. I used a spell-check quill, and she looked like she wanted to take it away, but she kept her hands to herself. I was writing maybe three words per minute, resisting the urge to chuck it in the fire when I finally pushed it aside.

"So, talk to Finn lately?" I asked, offering a suggestive, smoldering look.

"You mean Finnick?"

"Yeah, him."

"No, I haven't actually. Not in a while," Hermione said, continuing to page through her book (she'd finished her homework an hour ago).

"Shame. He seemed like a nice bloke," I shrugged a shoulder.

"He was nice enough," Hermione said, uninterested. "Viktor was starting to rub off on him though."

"Ooh, that's dirty! Did you catch them?"

"You know what I mean, George."

"Oh, you're no fun."

**-oOo-**

A little less than a week remained until I would receive the news. Fred was distracting me just about every night with snogging, groping, and foreplay, for which I was grateful. Nothing like a rush of teenage hormones to get your mind off of a potential pregnancy.

By this point, my brain had gone into overdrive, and I'm pretty sure Hermione's was about to short out; we'd been spending a great deal of our off time discussing what I would have to do if I was "blessed with a little miracle". I'd have to tell Mum and Dad at some point, but it would be a rough ride. I couldn't exactly imagine going up to my parents and telling them I'd gotten a Muggle pregnant. I couldn't see myself trying to soften the blow with "but it's okay, I'm actually gay". There was no easy way around it. All I could really do was be up front about it and hope nothing too bad happened. A lecture would be the least of my worries. Them being disappointed in me was fighting for dominance with anger for the top.

I needed to get my mind off of things. My thoughts for the past month had been a jumble of repetitive worries that I felt like I'd never get past. I was starting to get sick of _myself_. I told Hermione I didn't want to talk about Kate anymore for the time being, and she reluctantly agreed, after I threatened to test all future joke products on her. I don't think she took it to heart, but at least she agreed with me. Fred was more than happy to acquiesce my request ("about time, too"), and did everything in his power to keep me busy, between passing notes in class and snogging me senseless in the corridors after curfew. It was rather effective.

"Well, this is it. My last days."

"You make it sound like kit's a death sentence."

"I just mean that this is it. My last days of being an irresponsible kid."

"I thought you didn't want to talk about this," Fred cocked an eyebrow as we maneuvered the corridors to get back to the Common Room without being caught.

"Well now's the time where I should actually be thinking about it," I said, shoving my hands in my pockets. For all I knew, these could have been my last days of freedom.

"It's not the end of the world," he said.

"I know. I never said it is."

"Well I just want you to know you're obviously not alone in this. I'm not leaving you to do this on your own, and Hermione would skip class before she abandoned you. She's like your stubborn puppy, I swear," he rolled his eyes, but cracked a smile. "You know what I'm getting at, yeah?"

"Yeah," I replied solemnly.

"Then buck up. Quit looking like your walking toward a swarm of dementors."

I blew out a breath through my mouth and closed my eyes. Buck up. Calm down.

I could do it.

**-oOo-**

**A/N- And there we go. It took a while, but like I said, I've been busy, and I had to work through some family stuff. **

**The next chapter will be the last one! The sequel will be taking place about a year after this, after Fred and George leave Hogwarts. If you aren't subscribed to me as an author, you may want to do that so that you'll get a notification when the first chapter of the sequel is posted. **

**Also, I know this started off as humor, and it turned pretty dramatic, but what can I say? It happens. XD The sequel will be humor/drama/romance, but I'm pretty sure it'll be much less drama, so that's good. Anywhoo, review! I hope you liked it!**


	49. In the End

**A/N- And here we have it; the final chapter of Brotherly Love. It's been so fun writing this, even though I disappeared a lot, and I can't wait to start the sequel. **

**I'll also be writing a BBC Sherlock fic, if anyone is into that, so look out for it.**

**Now, on with the show, and thank you for all of your support!**

**-oOo-**

Chapter 49: In the End

"George, you're going to give yourself heart failure."

Fred sat beside me on the couch and patted me on the back, attempting to stop me hyperventilating. The following morning, an owl would be landing in front of me at breakfast with a letter from Bill (and Kate) telling me which path my future would be taking. I felt like I was on the verge of spontaneously combusting right there on the sofa. My breathing was rapid and shallow, my whole body was flushed, and I'm pretty sure I was having a panic attack, and I couldn't make myself calm down. It was like all the worry I could have been feeling had stored itself up for that exact moment, then decided to wreak havoc through my whole system.

"I'm getting him a calming potion from the hospital wing," Hermione said, standing up from the arm chair a few feet away.

"Madame Pomfrey isn't going to let you take it out of the wing," Fred pointed out, looking up at her. He then began rubbing circles on my back to no avail.

"She wouldn't let _you_ take it out of the wing," Hermione replied with an underlying snobby tone. "She trusts me."

Fred rolled his eyes and mumbled something that sounded like "whatever", and turned his attention back to me. I tried to tell him I was fine, but he wouldn't have it.

"You hardly ever panic, and now you look like you're about to go into shock. You're not fine," he tried to reason, but I shook my head. I tried to breathe normally, but that just put me on the verge of tears. _Pull yourself together,_ I thought viscously. _You can handle whatever happens. You've know about this for over a month. You know what you're expecting. _Except that I _didn't_ know what to expect. No one knows what to expect with their first kid. And as a teen? Shit.

I'll be honest; I was pretty irresponsible. I didn't show a glimmer of maturity until this year, and didn't even plan on it. Now there I was, the possibility of being a father looming over my head at such a young age. I wasn't even of age yet. I hate admitting defeat, but I'll say it; I'd been defeated. I had a long way to go before I was even slightly ready to start acting like an adult, and now I was being shoved into adulthood prematurely. Well, mentally anyway. I only had a few months before Fred and I turned seventeen. Speaking of Fred, he didn't have to have anything to do with my screw up, but he wanted to. He wanted to help me to the best of his ability, even though it was a massive roadblock.

Hermione came back after about twenty minutes with a vial in her hand. She uncorked it and handed it to me, telling me to "drink up". I threw it back on one gulp and handed her back the vial, which she vanished. It only took seconds for me to feel the effects of the potion; a warm calming feeling spread through my whole body, and suddenly all of my problems seemed insignificant. I even felt a little floaty.

"You're not shagging me like this," I told Fred.

"Wouldn't dream of it," Fred said, chuckling, and Hermione shook her head and covered her face with a book.

After that, Fred and I pulled Lee aside and started going over more ideas for joke products. I mostly listened though, because I was still feeling off from the calming potion.

We compiled a list of ideas that we'd all agreed on, and another list of things still to be considered. We had quite a list of things we'd already finalized, and most of them we knew how to make; it was just a matter of getting the things we needed. Potions ingredients, mostly, since we had a lot of ideas for food products; more sweets for the skiving snack boxes, canary creams (that one would be rather difficult), and the like. If we wanted to actually start selling, we'd have to really step up and actually start making them. As of now all we had was spell-check quills and a few botched attempts at Nosebleed Nougats. I hate it when life gets in my way.

Fred and I had this dream to open up our own joke shop after we left Hogwarts. Then we could be as immature as we wanted and still be contributing to society. To open such a shop, though, we'd need money; a lot of money, which was why we wanted to sell right away. We wanted to get a place in Hogsmede, since the target age group took trips there every month, but there's never anywhere available there, so Diagon Alley was our second choice. There was a place that had been for sale for ages; we didn't have much hope of getting it, since we wouldn't have enough until after we graduated, but it was nice to dream.

I started to wonder if our hopes of achieving this goal had been dashed because of this possible pregnancy. If I had to take care of a kid, would we have the time or money to go through with it? Maybe Fred would, but where would that leave me?

It was at that point that I realized I'd affected more lives than my own.

**-oOo-**

When the calming potion started wearing off, my anxiety began slowly creeping back. This year hadn't gone at all as planned; in fact, it seemed like everything had gone _wrong_. It could only get better from there, right? I kept telling myself that, but I couldn't make myself believe it. I was too wrapped up in all the other things that could go wrong. What would happen when Mum and Dad found out about Kate, getting through school, the coming summer… Hell, I'd even been giving thought to what would happen if Mum and Dad found out about me and Fred. I think they'd be less than appalled with us being gay, but then came the rest of the story. They're tolerant people, but I didn't want to test the limits. I thought it best to wait until Mum started bothering us about when we'd meet a girl and get married, or whatever. What she didn't know wouldn't kill her.

Then there was the fact that Kate was a Muggle, and I couldn't keep the fact that I'm a wizard away from her forever if I planned on being an active part in this process. And even if I did tell her, I'd have to prove it to her, and then I'd get cited for using magic in front of a Muggle. Every time I think of Kate, new worries arise.

I tried to disconnect myself from whatever Kate would face with the possible arrival of a baby, but the more I tried to not think about it, the more I thought about it. It was like telling someone not to think about a troll. Well they're going to think about a troll, aren't they? All of Kate's potential problems had become _my_ potential problems. If they became her _actual _problems? Well then I was really fucked.

"I can _hear_ you thinking," Fred said, pulling me out of my thoughts. I looked around; the common room was empty. How long had I just been sitting there? "Everyone's at dinner," Fred added, reading my expression. A while, then.

"Sorry," I shook my head.

"If you keep exercising your brain like that, you might just be able to bump up some of your grades," he chuckled.

"I'm not using the right equipment for that," I said, smiling. I stood up from the armchair I'd been sitting in and stretched, cracking my back. My legs felt a little stiff, but that was to be expected.

"Details, details," Fred waves my comment away. He tossed me a folded bit of parchment, which I scrambled to catch. "It's a list of a few more ideas Lee came up with. I already looked them over, but I want your opinion as well," he said, smiling. I unfolded the parchment and scanned the list.

"Daydream charms sound brilliant, but they're going to require some heavy magic," I addressed, tossing the list back to him. All the others seemed pretty plausible.

"Yeah, well. It's a suggestion. Probably for a lot later, but a good one to have on the table." He shrugged noncommittally, stowing the list away in his pocket. I nodded my agreement and suggested we go down to eat. There was no need to think it over, of course.

**-oOo-**

I'd never been less excited for a meal in my entire life. With breakfast, came the inevitable arrival of mail, and I was starting to think I'd rather be left in the dark until summer.

I took the longest route to the Great Hall I could think of, and walked as slowly as I dared. Not that it mattered; if I missed the arrival, it would still be there waiting for me. Fred intended to wait with me so we could go down together, but after watching me tie and retie my shoes he gave up and said he'd see me down there.

Walking though the Great Hall to the Gryffindor table felt like the Walk of Shame, even though no one else knew what I was expecting. It was like I feared that they'd all somehow found out and were silently judging me. Irrational fear, yes, but I can't be blamed for it. No one was even looking at me, but they may as well have, the way I was feeling.

It felt like I'd walked a thousand anxiety-filled miles before I came to a stop next to Fred at the table. I sat down, visibly shaking, and looking like the biggest pansy alive. Fred and Hermione had chosen to sit away from everyone else, which was fine by me. I didn't need anyone else knowing whether or not I'd impregnated a stranger. Well, I say stranger. Kate's a stranger to _them_. Merlin, she was a step above a stranger to _me_. I was not making myself feel any better.

Neither of them said anything about it when I sat down, in order to preserve their own well-being, and probably to keep me from having a psychotic meltdown.

Unfortunately, I didn't walk slowly enough, because the mail hadn't come yet, meaning I'd have to sit there internally freaking out until It arrived. Waiting is always the worst part of any situation; then there's the situation I was in, where the waiting is the worst part multiplied by ten. Or more. Yeah, more. I'd be a wound tighter than a spring by the time the mail arrived, assuming I wasn't dead by then.

When the mail did finally arrive, I just about passed out. This was it; the moment of truth. Oh, Merlin, I'd never been so terrified in my life. The owls swooped in going in every direction, some carrying lard parcels, and other carrying envelopes or newspapers. Hermione's daily newspaper came, and she dropped a knut in the little sack tied to the owl's leg. An envelope dropped in front of me and I nearly had a heart attack. It was from Mum, though. Was that it? I handed it off to Fred. (It turned out to just be a letter wishing us well). For one half-terrified-half-relieved moment, I thought maybe the letter wouldn't come, but then a tawny owl swooped down and held out his leg; a black envelope was tied to it. Only Bill used black envelopes.

I picked it up gingerly, as if it would bite me if I held it the wrong way. My name was scrawled across the back in silver ink. If I hadn't been so terrified of what was inside, I would have commented on the presentation of it. I carefully broke the seal and slid out the parchment from inside. There were two notes; one from Bill and one from Kate. I read the one from Bill first.

**George,**

**I promise you that I didn't read anything that you or Kate wrote, but I thought I'd let you know that when I told her who the note was from, she looked horrified. I hope you didn't get yourself into anything you can't get out of.**

**-Bill**

Great.

I turned Kate's letter over in my fingers several times before Hermione snapped at me to "just read it". It was fairly longer than Bill's, I could tell right away. I took a shuddering breath, and started reading.

**George,**

**Your brother told me that your note was urgent, which worried me, because you don't seem like the kind of guy to think anything is urgent. I'm glad I had until now, though, because I only just found out the day of writing this.**

**I'm pregnant.**

**I understand completely if you don't want to stick around; you're still in school, just like me, and don't have the time, especially considering you're at a boarding school. What happened was a massive mistake, and neither of us had any intentions of this happening. On that subject: even though it was unplanned and unintentional, I plan on keeping the baby. As far as names, my plan is Anthony for a boy, and Michele for a girl, but if you have any ideas, I really want to hear them. **

**I hope you're able to come around at least sometimes in the summers. I won't lie, I'd be devastated if I never saw you again. Even though we only really knew each other for less than a week, I think you're a pretty ace guy, and a bloody great friend. **

**Say hello to Fred for me.**

**Lots of Love,**

**Kate**

I put the letter down.

And closed my eyes.

**-oOo-**

**A/N- Oh my God, writing this has been so much fun, and I hope you enjoyed it just as much. This is the first time I've actually finished anything that was more than a one-shot (both here and outside the web), and even though it took the better part of four years (two before publishing and two after), it was worth it. Hopefully the sequel will be updated more frequently since I am now a community college student with less time in the classroom and more time to write. **

**Again, the sequel will take place about a year after where we left off here. It ****will**** be rated M, and will be either entirely from George's POV, or alternating POV's. If you have a preference, please let me know.**

**I'm on a writing streak right now, so the first chapter should be up before the end of the month. I have yet to determine a title, but if you have suggestions for that, let me know as well. **

**For now, I bid you adieu. **


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